“When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, ‘Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean!’” (Lk 5:12)

“When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, ‘Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean!’” (Lk 5:12) 

Today’s Passages: Lk 5:12-16; 1Jn 5:5-13

Meditation: It is quite interesting to reflect upon this verse of today’s meditation. A man with a dreaded skin disease or leper is crying out for help from Jesus. From the Jewish background of those days we know that these lepers were to keep themselves aloof from the public. Then, how did he know about Jesus? Certainly, it must be through hearing; a hearing from afar. It needs a lot of attention and devotion indeed!

St. Paul says, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.” (Rom 10:17) We have before us pretty number of stories of saints like St. Augustine, St. Ignatius of Loyola who listened to the word of God and were renewed. The leper also might have heard about Jesus quite number of times and therefore, decided one day to try Jesus. Finally, it culminated in his healing and salvation

Therefore, whatever small things we do as to proclaim Jesus has got far reaching results; this may be a sharing of a bible quotation or a small passage from the bible, making use of the word of the Lord in small community prayers, a sharing of reflection on bible verses etc. The people who hear and read these may turn to the Lord like this leper. You may not know its results immediately, but it happens literally. It is timely to remember the example of the Samaritan woman too.

 The second reading testifies yet another way of proclamation; i.e., through writing. The author says, “I am writing this to you so that you may know that you have eternal life – you that believe in the Son of God.” (1Jn 5:13) Let ‘Jesus be known to everyone’ be our motto; through our words and deeds. We are only co-workers in the ministry of evangelization.

St. Paul is very clear as he says, “There is no difference between the man who sows and the man who waters; God will reward each one according to the work he has done. For we are partners working together for God, and you are God’s field.” (1 Cor 3:8, 9) It is not the medium of proclamation, but the content or the kerygma that matters.

           

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. We believe that the bible is your loving message to us. So, in order to make this message known to the nations, we surrender ourselves before you. Make us an instrument of your living Word where people are unheard of your divine message of life and light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!  

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Friday!