Shame Is The New Leprosy

I’ve been told that shame is the new leprosy. I agree. It is our shame that makes us silently or emotionally declare, “UNCLEAN!” wherever we go. The things we hold in shame disfigure us and put us on the outside. Shame is the new leprosy and guess what, Jesus can heal us from the new leprosy too. Today’s gospel shows us how to approach him in our shame. The leper fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” We need to lay our shame down at his feet and ask him if he wants to make us free. I know he will answer us the same way he answers the leper, “I do will it. Be made clean.” Then he sends the leper out not to talk about his cleansing, but to show how he has been healed. So many times we get caught up in having to tell all and our culture is very much about that with Twitter and the news and national movements stressing that we just tell everything publically especially the shameful stuff. Jesus says there is no need to say anything at all, but show your conversion with your life, show your cleansing with your offering, show your healing with your loving, show your restoration with your rejoicing, and show your gratitude with your giving. When people witnessed the former leper demonstrating his renewal with his life, word spread about Jesus all the more and the desire to be healed grew. When we let our lives show the workings of God’s mercy, it will set a fire in others to seek His mercy in their lives. No words are necessary. Jesus wants to make us clean and free from the new leprosy. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 JN 5:5-13

Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood. 
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth. 
So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, 
and the three are of one accord. 
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater. 
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son. 
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 
And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son. 
Whoever possesses the Son has life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12a)  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia SEE MT 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 5:12-16

It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
"Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." 
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
"I do will it.  Be made clean." 
And the leprosy left him immediately. 
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
"Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." 
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.