Gospel
Mk 1:40-45
40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down said to him: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
41 And Jesus having compassion on him, stretched forth his hand; and touching him, saith to him: I will. Be thou made clean. 42 And when he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. 43 And he strictly charged him, and forthwith sent him away. 44 And he saith to him: See thou tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the high priest, and offer for thy cleansing the things that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 45 But he being gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the word: so that he could not openly go into the city, but was without in desert places: and they flocked to him from all sides.
Back in January, we discussed how lepers were outcast from Jewish life. Leprosy was, as explained in today’s first reading, considered an uncleanliness that prevented one from taking part in religious life. More than just being a physical condition, it was believed to be caused by either personal sin or the sin of one’s parents. Beyond that, leprosy is a real, contagious and devastating disease. Lepers were not allowed among the people, but were relegated to leper colonies and kept on the outskirts of town to limit the spread of their disease. They were the untouchables, as even getting too close to a leper would make one ceremonially unclean. As we discussed, that Jesus allowed the man to approach Him and healed Him through His touch was not only a shocking violation of the Law as detailed in Leviticus, and a great sign of His divine power, but showed His unfathomable compassion.
Leprosy, though, was also symbolic as it was so associated with sin. In our time, Leprosy is still a serious disease. But, it is no longer as common. What is common is other forms of uncleanliness. We are plagued far more by spiritual uncleanliness. Our culture is being destroyed by pornography, abortion, homosexuality, drug addiction, divorce and every form of immorality imaginable. America is now the largest market for slavery in the world. Annually, tens of thousands of women and children are either kidnapped domestically or smuggled across our borders to be forced into sexual slavery and often killed. Not only does our government not stop it, but Catholic organizations facilitate human trafficking and profit from it, as do other denominations and so called charities. Life in modern America has become very cheap. This perversion and degradation has infected all levels of our culture. Many devout Catholics, especially, are addicted to pornography and think little about the lives of those used to make it. This, along with the lack of stigma against promiscuity and no fault divorce is destroying the family. The children who survive abortion go to schools where they are taught to not only question their gender but even their humanity, being told they can identify as cats should they wish. No longer are these just moral issues, but questions of sanity! Even if they manage to stay sane, many will overdose on fentanyl, even accidentally.
Yes, our world looks very bad right now and our culture is worse than ever. The answer though, remains the same. It is to turn to Jesus. Go to Him. Kneel down and pray, “Lord, if you wish you can make me clean.” He will touch us. He will raise us up. He will heal us and make us clean. That is the only answer. As Alexis de Tocqueville wrote at the beginning of our nation, “America is great because America is good. Should America cease to be good, she will no longer be great.”
In closing, I urge you not to give one cent to any Catholic organization or so called “charity” that facilitates human trafficking. When the second collection comes around, instead of money, place a note in the plate explaining that you will not support such evil and that they should be entirely cut off and rejected by the Catholic Church until and unless they reform!
A Daily Catholic Devotional Reflections on the Daily Mass readings January-June, 2024. may be purchased as a .pdf directly from me using this link https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-daily-catholic-devotional-reflections.html or in paperback on Amazon amazon.com/dp/B0CPD1DC7Q
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Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.
So what are the Catholic charities that promote trafficking? Please enlighten us. Spell them out.