Homily for Sixth Sunday

Saturday morning, Jack and Jill were having a quiet breakfast since the kids were still in bed. Jack said, “Jill, we need to talk. Have you noticed that Chuck has been acting a little strange lately? He spends more time in his room alone, when his friends call and ask him to go out to the mall, he turns them down.” Jill replied, “Yes, I have noticed his behavior. He doesn’t want to be around us, preferring to be alone. He is experiencing problems of a teenager.”

Jack said, “I agree.  At two this morning I got up to go to the bathroom. The door was slightly open, so I knocked and asked if I could come in. Chuck opened the door fully to let me in. I asked, ‘What are you doing?’ I could see tissues on the sink, and a jar of Clearasil. I realized what he was doing, squeezing blackheads and pimples. Standing behind, I slid my arms around him in a hug. On the verge of tears, he started to shake, and I told him that it was okay. I understood. I turned him around and kissed him on the forehead, then on the left cheek and on the right cheek. I told him that he shouldn’t squeeze the pimples, let them alone so that the infection doesn’t spread. We’ll talk in the morning. Get to bed now and try not to worry. It’s going to be okay.”

Not all teens, but some have the dreaded acne problem. Their self-image and self-esteem invite isolation from friends and family. They have a lot in common with the person who is declared a leper as described in the first lesson of today’s liturgy.

If the man is leprous and unclean, the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head. … The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garment rent and his head bear and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ … He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.

The teen dealing with acne identifies with the leper. Not only does the teen see the self as unclean but tends to isolate the self from family and friends. All dread this social death. What hope is there for those who suffer like this? The gospel lesson deals precisely with this problem.

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, ‘If you wish, you can make me clean.’  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’ The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

As the gospel lesson reveals, Jesus took the risk. Even though touching the leper may risk sharing the leper’s uncleanness and isolation, Jesus reached out and touched him. The leper did not doubt that Jesus could cure him. However, he was uncertain about Jesus’ desire to help him. Notice how in my story Jack was moved with compassion and hugged his son. Not only did he hug his son, but he also kissed his son on the unclean areas.

Jesus then told the cured man to tell no one anything, but to go and show himself to the priest and offer for the cleansing what Moses prescribed. His touch of love broke down barriers that separated the clean from the unclean. Can you imagine how Jack’s son must have felt? Of course, the acne did not go away immediately. Because his father accepted him, he could now accept himself. Chuck would no longer have to isolate himself from family and friends. Knowing that he had understanding and support from his dad, Chuck could return to a somewhat ‘normal’ life with his friends and family.

By the grace of God, we have survived the pandemic during which we were also isolated from each other. We suffered the many restrictions put on us by government and health agencies. Some of our loved ones died and no longer celebrate the new freedom from isolation and restriction. Now we are invited to enter the lives of many innocent people who continue to live on the margins of society.

Prejudice remains a great evil in our day and continues to separate people because of fear. Put yourself in the place of the spiritual leper. How would you feel when people turn away from you? You would feel abandoned and forced to live a lonely life without friends, even family. Yet, Jesus expects his disciples, you and me, to take seriously his command to love one another as He loves us. It is a struggle to overcome the fear and antipathies we harbor within ourselves when we are asked to help people who are different from us because of disfigurement due to poverty and disease. However, we ought not to let our struggle prevent us from living to the fullest the commandment to love one another as Christ showed us.

Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Love overcomes all repulsiveness. Pray that the Lord will touch you as he touched the leper in the gospel lesson. Pray that Christ’s love for you will enable you to reach out to those around you who look to you for understanding and acceptance. Jack in my story was able to touch and heal his son. So, you can touch and cure the spiritual lepers of today with the love of Chris that is with you.

God be blessed! Now and forever. Amen.