Thursday, January 14, 2021 - First week in Ordinary Time - Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom and healed all infirmities in the people - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1, 40-45

Dear Christians! We are well aware that leprosy is serious and contagious. People with this disease are isolated because they are considered impure and we do not want them to contaminate others. In the Bible, leprosy is also considered a sin, and God's mercy can heal it. The disease we are currently experiencing, the Coronavirus, also requires that those infected be isolated. But this leper came to Jesus and begged him to heal him. It was faith that moved him to take this step. We have spoken of this rapprochement necessary for salvation to be accomplished. We can't approach anyone else if we have Covid-19, but that doesn't stop us from praying, asking Jesus for healing, and if we have faith and confidence, He will heal us.

We often hear in the Gospel that Jesus forbade the healed leper to tell anyone about his healing. It is the mystery of his messiahship, which he does not want to reveal before his resurrection. But he said to present himself to the priest and ordered to offer a sacrifice as a token of gratitude and thanks to God. Jesus teaches us that whatever miracles and graces God lavishes on us, we must always abide by the rules and laws that govern society, the nation, and the Church. It is for the respect of his rules that Jesus here orders the purified leper to present offerings. Dear Christians, the Eucharist in which the Church invites us to take part every day or at least every week is an expression of our gratitude to God for his good deeds. Let us not see it as a mere command from God, even though it is part of the law, but rather as a permanent recognition from the heart because He gives us so much every day. Moreover, it is a matter of decorum to know how to recognize, so let us always give thanks to God.