This week’s Gospel message for Sunday, February 14th is from Mark 1:40-45.
“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, touched him, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’ The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. . .The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.”
“The leper found the courage to approach Jesus . . . Already excluded from society, he risked being excluded from this miracle worker. But he was not. Jesus, moved with pity, not only did not drive him away, he reached out and touched him. Jesus broke physical, religious, and social boundaries, consciously and deliberately. He restored him to the community, making both him and the community whole once again. We can reach out in love to our sisters and brothers who have been excluded. We have the power to heal the strained bonds that bind humanity.” Source: Pastoral Patterns, Winter 2020-2021
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Gen 4:1-15, 25; Mark 8:11-13
Tuesday Gen 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10; Mark 8:14-21
Wednesday Joel 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:20—6:2; Matt 6:1-6, 16-18
Thursday Deut 30:15-20; Luke 9:22-25
Friday Isa 58:1-9a; Matt 9:14-15
Saturday Isa 58:9b-14; Luke 5:27-32
Source: Living With Christ, February 2021