Thursday 16 January 2025

Today is Thursday the 16th of January in the 1st week of Ordinary Time. The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing Psalm 146: “It is good to sing in honour of our God - sweet is his praise. The Lord, Restorer of Jerusalem! He brought back Israel's exiles, healing their broken hearts, and binding up their wounds.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 1:40-45 A leper came to [Jesus] begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. We know that in that culture, leprosy was seen as a terrible threat and those who suffered from it were supposed to keep well away from the rest of humanity. What is Jesus’ attitude to the leper in the story that you have just heard? How does this speak to you? “Say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest”. Why do you think the man couldn’t stay quiet? Now listen as the story is read to you once more. What really strikes you about it this time? “People came to him from every quarter”. In these final moments, imagine yourself as one of these people… what is it you would seek from Jesus today? Talk to him about this now… Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.