Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Gospel Mk 1:40-45
A leper came to Jesus and
kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean (1).”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy (*) left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly (2), he dismissed him at once.
He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest (3)
and offer for your cleansing (4) 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 (5)
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.
“If you wish, you can make me clean (1).”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy (*) left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly (2), he dismissed him at once.
He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest (3)
and offer for your cleansing (4) 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 (5)
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 difficult words
(1) To make clean here means to heal someone of leprosy.
(2)
Sternly means
strictly and harshly.
(3)
The priest was the Jewish leader who offered sacrifices. Only
the priest could say that someone was clean.
(4)
To offer something for your cleansing was the practice of making a gift or sacrifice of
thanksgiving required by the law of Moses. This was a sign of gratitude to God
for the miracle of being healed.
(5) Abroad means wide
and far away.
(*) Leprosy: During
the time when Jesus lived upon the earth, leprosy was very wide-spread and was
a dreaded disease. When someone had leprosy, they were covered with sores all
over their bodies. Unlike chicken pox, these sores didn't just go away. When
someone had leprosy, it was hopeless, because there was no cure. To make
matters worse, other people considered them to be unclean and were not allowed
to touch them. Many people believed that people who had leprosy got the disease
because of some terrible sin they had committed.
This week spotlight
Healing
There are many
Gospel stories in which Jesus cures people, such as the healing of the leper
that we read about today. These cures are very amazing, showing us God's power.
They are also reminders that God wants to heal our souls as well as our bodies.
Jesus invites the people he cures to turn toward God and discover his great
love for them. Sick people don't always recover from their illnesses, but God
always wants them to repent of their sins, so that they will be happy for ever
in heaven.
“Only say
the word and my soul shall be healed”
At every Mass, we pray these
words right before Communion. They come from the centurion in the Gospel (see
Matthew 8: 5-13), who came to Jesus to ask for the healing of his servant. Since he didn’t feel worthy to have Jesus
visit his house, he simply asked Jesus to command it. He believed in the power
of Jesus to heal, and at Jesus' command, his servant got better. By praying these words at Mass, you are admitting
that you are not worthy to have Jesus "enter under your roof," that
is, come to you in Holy Communion. At the same time, you are professing your
faith in Jesus' power to heal your soul and make it worthy of his presence.
Reflection
Leprosy is a sickness caused by very contagious bacteria. People used to
be so afraid of lepers that they made them live far away from others. The leper
in today’s Gospel is suffering not only from this terrible disease that makes
him smell and look bad, but also from being cut off from his family and
friends. Some people say that he has leprosy because he is a sinner. It is
against the law for him even to go near other people. He feels unloved and shut
out. Still, he believes that Jesus can help him.
He dares to find Jesus and begs to be cured. Jesus reaches out to touch
him, without fear of catching leprosy, and heals him. Today, even though they
don’t have leprosy, many people are unloved and shut out. Other people have bad
attitudes, and no one wants to hang around them. Jesus wants to heal us too.
Will you pray for his help? Will you love those who feel unloved?
There are
always people who are isolated or left out, at school and in the street. They
feel excluded. Keep your eyes wide open, and if you see someone who seems
excluded, young or old, go toward him or her and give them a smile, say something
nice, and then entrust him or her to the Lord in your evening prayers.
>Single out your bad habits
We all have a
few bad habits. This week, figure out what keeps you from living in harmony
with others, with yourself, and with God. Here are some questions to help you:
Do I cut in front of others? Do I lie? Do I interrupt others? Do I take what I want
before thinking of others? Ask Jesus to purify you. He wants to help you heal
yourself!
Discussion questions
1.
Who was the patient that Jesus healed today?
2.
What did he say to Jesus?
3.
How long did it take for him to be clean?
4.
Who did the leper need to see after he was clean?
5.
What did Jesus ask him to do next?
6.
Did the man say anything about his matter?
7.
Was it good for Jesus?
8.
What can we learn from the Gospel of this Sunday?
Praying after communion
After
receiving communion, you can say this prayer
silently to yourself. If you have not yet received your First
Communion, you can still say this prayer because of
your desire to receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in union with the whole
Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Your Son
healed the sick who came to him,to show his love for the human family. May our
Communion with Jesus help us to show kindness to the sick and to those who are
left out and unloved.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: http://www.usccb.org - http://www.sermons4kids.com - Magnifikid