Bridge The Gap

A Reflection on the First Reading for February 14th, 2021:
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

---

Leviticus
13.1-2, 45-46

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “When someone has on the skin of their body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of their body, that person shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.

“Anyone who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of their head be dishevelled and shall cover their upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ That person shall remain unclean as long as the disease persists; and being unclean, such a one shall live alone with their dwelling outside the camp.”

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

Leprosy, or “Hansen’s Disease” is a long-term bacterial infection that damages a person’s nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. The nerve damage is one of the most challenging symptoms as it limits people’s ability to feel pain; the loss of sensation, that would normally send signals to one’s brain to tell their body to engage in protective reflexes, means that people with leprosy are prone to injury and infection of unnoticed wounds. The stigma that surrounded this infection is not as severe now, because it has been determined that it does not spread easily and there are many treatments available — but in Old Testament times we hear of the extreme precautions due to the fear and belief that it was highly contagious and the lack of known cures. We now know that you cannot contract leprosy from casual contact with a person who is infected — shaking hands, hugging, sitting near to visit or share a meal. The only way is through prolonged, close contact with an untreated person over the course of many months.

Knowing this information increases compassion for those who suffered the consequences of social isolation and rejection, which surely affected their hearts as well as their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. The separation was forced because those who were healthy believed it was the best way to protect themselves, and their communities, from a debilitating illness — but those who were considered “unclean” were abandoned to the peripheries of society.

​This reading provides context, so we may better understand the impact of Christ’s choice to heal the man with leprosy in this upcoming Sunday’s Gospel. With His healing touch, Jesus restores this man’s freedom and welcomes him back into the center. Christ makes it possible for him to participate in society, to escape poverty, and to participate with his community in worship. This act also serves as a great sign of how Jesus acts in each of our lives to heal us from sin, restoring our relationship with God the Father and bringing us from death to newness of life. He is our Divine Physician, and as the Church we are called to be a Field Hospital, as Pope Francis has said, caring for the sick who need God’s healing and grace.

As we prepare for this upcoming Sunday, let’s reflect on the ways God has already healed and is working to heal us — and on our personal role in His hospital. How are we called to facilitate healing for others? And how can we bridge existing gaps to help welcome those who are on the outskirts, to help them know that they are beloved children of God and worthy of receiving all that He has for them.




Kendra L.

---