CHÚA NHẬT 6 THƯỜNG NIÊN
6TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME


Mc 1, 40-45



Khi ấy, có một người bệnh cùi đến van xin Chúa Giêsu và quỳ xuống thưa Người rằng: "Nếu Ngài muốn, Ngài có thể khiến tôi nên sạch".

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean."



Động lòng thương, Chúa Giêsu giơ tay đặt trên người ấy và nói: "Ta muốn, anh hãy khỏi bệnh". Tức thì bệnh cùi biến mất và người ấy được sạch. Nhưng Người nghiêm nghị bảo anh đi ngay và dặn rằng: "Anh hãy ý tứ đừng nói cho ai biết, một hãy đi trình diện cùng trưởng tế và dâng của lễ theo luật Môsê để minh chứng mình đã được khỏi bệnh".

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."



Nhưng đi khỏi, người ấy liền cao rao và loan truyền tin đó, nên Chúa Giêsu không thể công khai vào thành nào được. Người dừng lại ở ngoài thành, trong những nơi vắng vẻ, và người ta từ khắp nơi tuôn đến cùng Người.

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.



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6TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME



Readings

Lv 13:1-2;44-46

1Cor 10:31-11:1

Mk 1:40-45

Questions for reflection

1. Do you seek the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?

2. Who are the outcasts of our day?

3. How do you approach the untouchables and outcasts and those you find difficult to love?

4. Do you offer them mercy and help as Jesus did?

5. Have you felt the touch of Christ healing you? How?

Reflection

The term leprosy was applied to any highly contagious and awful looking skin disease. From experience, people knew that these diseases are contagious. Therefore they isolated a person until he or she was cured. The isolation may seem very cruel to us, but we must remember that they did not know how to cure these diseases, and they did not want anyone to be infected. There was a very elaborate ritual for declaring a “leper” cleansed; this may be found in Leviticus 14. The gospel tells of Jesus’ cure of a leper. He stretched out his hand and touched him! This was forbidden by the Torah for obvious reasons. But Jesus had such compassion that he not only uses words to cure; he touches the afflicted man. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus does not want people to get the wrong idea of his messiah-ship; therefore he tells those he has cured to “keep it quiet.” Unfortunately the cleansed leper shouts it from the roof tops. People press and crowd Jesus; he can scarcely move about freely.

The Church sees “sin” as the spiritual leprosy and only Jesus can cure us. But he can cure us only if we want to be cleansed. Nowadays, too many people deny their leprosy. They act as if there is no sin; they deny that the Church has a right to teach on what is sin. If we are to be cured, we must first admit our problem; then humbly approached the Lord.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love and cleanse me of my sins. May I never cease to tell others of your love and mercy. Amen.