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Manila Bulletin

Opinion

'Be made clean'

Opinion

'Be made clean'

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Jesus says this to the leper who humbly approaches him for healing. Jesus readily obliges.

Take note: the evangelist uses catharizai (to cleanse), instead of therapeuein (to heal).

When one had a leprosy, that person was considered unclean, unfit to socialize and to enter the Temple premises.

Today, it is not an issue for us which word should be used. Important is the healing. The cleansing or the healing of a leper is the first miracle of Jesus after delivering his Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus shows his power to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God has truly come. He commands the cleansed and healed man to present himself to the priest in the Temple to be certified that he can finally join the worship in the Temple and live a normal life.

The Jews in those days expected the Messiah to heal the lepers, aside from making blind people see and the deaf hear. We, Christians of today, need a lot of healing, not only of our bodily illnesses, but also of our deep-seated woundedness and sins that affect our relationships with others and with God. Let us humbly approach Jesus for this purpose.

Gospel • Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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