Homily

The Gospel passage opens on a sharp and remarkable note for those times: "A leper came to Jesus." It was very odd that a leper dared to go near anyone, considering that they were ordered to stay away from people. The book of Leviticus was categorical: "The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be dishevelled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp" (13:45-46). This exclusion from even associating with others made having the disease even more terrible than it already was. The rabbis considered lepers similar to the living dead, believing their healing to be less likely than resurrection itself. This is why it seems strange that a leper would dare to approach Jesus, thus overcoming the insurmountable distance prescribed by the law. Yet, to whom could he have turned? Everyone, protected both by legal dispositions and fear of contamination, kept at a distance from those who were sick with leprosy. The only one who did not behave this way was Jesus. The lepers had understood this and, therefore, went to him.
How many "lepers" are there even today, both near and far! It is not so much those who are literally affected by the disease of leprosy, which is now easily cured, as much as those whose life is irreparably marked by illness. To this day, there are many, too many, who run away from such people for fear of contamination or, as some say, to avoid feeling sad at their sight. Contrary to custom, when lepers heard that Jesus was coming, they would overcome all barriers of fear and mistrust and run to him. The young prophet from Nazareth created around himself a new environment filled with the compassion and mercy that attracted the sick, sinners and the poor.
At last, that leper - probably with tremendous difficulty - was able to reach Jesus and threw himself at his feet. He did not use many words, nor did he try to explain his disease but simply said with faith, "If you choose, you can make me clean!" The leper didn’t doubt that Jesus could heal him, but he wasn't sure whether he wished to do so. After all, what could a poor leper know about the will of that young prophet? If anything, his distrust of others was confirmed by the distrust that everyone had towards him, a leper and an unclean person. One thing is certain in this evangelical passage: vis-à-vis that good prophet: the leper’s desperation is transformed into faith. And Jesus, the merciful, could not refuse to hear him. Jesus was not afraid of contagion; he reached out his hand and touched him. In this way, he transmitted life’s energy to him. That leper was revived just as a withered plant that immediately flourishes like new.
This evangelical scene pushes all of us to meet and listen, to touch and feel the great need for salvation that the millions of "lepers" have today. With his answer, Jesus shows us what his will is regarding any kind of leprosy and evil: "I do choose to. Be made clean!" Yes, God’s will is crystal clear: to fight against all types of evil. We really are far from that rather popular conviction that attributes to God the decision of distributing evil among men and women according to their sins. There is nothing farther from the Gospel. Yet, this conviction is deeply rooted among Christians.
Nevertheless, it is easy to misunderstand Jesus’ command to the leper: "See that you say nothing to anyone..." This seems to be, and indeed may truly be, a strange command. Certainly, it is different from our customary habits and TV culture. The Gospel reveals a beautiful, rich and expressive silence that Jesus wishes to maintain. We could also interpret it as the "messianic secret", which is very dear to Mark, the evangelist. We must, nonetheless, highlight the fact that Jesus does not seek his own glory, nor does he want his fame to grow. His desire for silence is tied to the delicate secret of a friendship established between the Lord and himself, between the Lord and whoever confides in him. With the silence imposed by Jesus - we could say that a miracle, even prior to being an apologetic and evident symbol of his power, is most of all a friendly, kind, and compassionate response to the sick and excluded. It is like saying that God’s love for me, you and every man and woman, comes before everything else.
Perhaps, it became impossible for the man who was touched by this absolutely unique and unimaginable love to remain silent. We should wish that, for us too, it would be impossible to keep silent. The leper did not do as Jesus told him and divulged the news to everyone, so much so that Jesus was no longer able to enter into the cities because of the large number of people who sought him. Jesus, who did not wish to please people but his Father, found refuge in different places. The crowds, however, did not let him out of their sight and kept following him everywhere. Perhaps, today more than ever, we need a "man" who can walk in our midst as Jesus did. Yet, is this not the vocation of both the Church and every believer, even to this day, at the beginning of this new century?