Most of us in this day and age have little understanding what leprosy is or how terrible and dreaded the disease was when there was no known cure. Infectious slow growing bacteria which spreads leading eventually to loss of limbs, sensitivity to light, loss of sight, disfigurement of the face and body and more until death. This is what Sin in our life does to us Spiritually! With effects that manifest physically as well.
Yes we must make every effort to resist sin and temptation and master our body, mind and spirit. But do not make the mistake of thinking we can overcome it on our own! Especially when dealing with habitual sin, the evil one will whisper in your ear things like, “What will the priest think of you?” “You can and must overcome it first before confessing otherwise you will have to keep on confessing the same sin over and over again.” We need the grace, mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we need to come into His presence often, through the Sacraments, in reading and living the Word, steadfastness in prayer; and to be part of His one Body through community. We are therefore accountable to one another to grow in Holiness.
Forgive me Lord for the many times I have given in to sin. If You want to Lord I know You can take away and release me from all habitual sins. I entrust my life into Your loving care. Amen
First reading
Hebrews 3:7-14 ·
Keep encouraging one another
The Holy Spirit says: If only you would listen to him today; do not harden your hearts, as happened in the Rebellion, on the Day of Temptation in the wilderness, when your ancestors challenged me and tested me, though they had seen what I could do for forty years. That was why I was angry with that generation and said: How unreliable these people who refuse to grasp my ways! And so, in anger, I swore that not one would reach the place of rest I had for them. Take care, brothers, that there is not in any one of your community a wicked mind, so unbelieving as to turn away from the living God. Every day, as long as this ‘today’ lasts, keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, because we shall remain co-heirs with Christ only if we keep a grasp on our first confidence right to the end.
Gospel
Mark 1:40-45
The leprosy left the man at once, and he was cured
A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all around would come to him.
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