Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1, 40-45
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
The cure
1. Reach out for help. Often, it can be difficult to ask for help, but it’s important to recognize your own limitations and the ways life can affect or even burden you. Don’t hesitate to ask God for support with whatever is troubling you or weighing on your heart today. Everyone faces spiritual challenges that leave us feeling down or lost. The real issue is not being unwell but refusing to acknowledge it and failing to seek help.
2. If you wish. Each of us deals with illnesses and hardships and can find it challenging to accept them. When faced with suffering, we can either see ourselves as victims or actively look for help and healing. In the Gospel, the man asks Jesus for help, while also respecting Jesus’s freedom to choose. It’s important to learn how to accept God’s will and understand why things happen as they do. Sometimes, we put our own desires ahead of what Jesus wants for us.
3. Be discreet. Carelessness can sometimes shut doors or even keep Jesus out of other people’s lives. Many have drifted away from God and the Church because we’ve been careless—with words or by making things seem more impressive than they are. Don’t let your lack of discretion push away those who need God or you. It’s better to communicate less but with clarity and purpose, than to say much with little meaning. Allow others to get to know you gradually, instead of revealing everything about yourself right away.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
