FRIDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - Gospel (Luke 5:12 – 16) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” (Lk 5:12)

FIRST READING - 1 Jn 5:5-13

"The Spirit, the water, and the blood."

A reading from the Letter of John

⁵ Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

⁶ This is the one who came through water and blood,^[a] Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. ⁷ So there are three that testify, ⁸ the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. ⁹ If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

¹³ I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 5:12-16

"The leprosy left him immediately."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

¹² Now there was a man full of leprosy^[a] in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” ¹³ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately. ¹⁴ Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;^[b] that will be proof for them.” ¹⁵ The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, ¹⁶ but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

FRIDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - Gospel (Luke 5:12 – 16)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today’s Word of God, God the Father demonstrates His power in this world as He heals the ailments of humanity.

Through His healing of a man with leprosy and the words He teaches in today's Word of God, God the Father desires to remind those suffering from ailments of the soul as well as the body to hasten to Him so that He may heal them. For only He has power over Satan.

Satan brings suffering and eternal death to those who are living in hatred, in sin, in these worldly passions and lustful desires. And human beings, with our weaknesses, cannot possibly drive Satan out of our souls and bodies.

Only by relying on the power of the Most High God and His strength over the demonic forces of Satan can we compel them to release humanity from Satan’s captivity.

Like the image of a leper today, this soul, yearningly pleading God for the healing of the soul, of sin, and of the disease that defiled both the body and the soul, was heard and healed by God the Father, and freed from the captivity of Satan, driven out from that person's soul and body by God the Father.

With faith and fervent desire, this leper was healed by God the Father. That shows that His power encompasses all things in this world and all of creation. Nothing is beyond His control or power.

That is the Word of God the Father reminding His children to wisely run to seek Him, to turn to Him for help, ask Him to heal our souls and bodies, ask Him to cast out all of Satan from our souls and bodies. With fervent desire and sincere faith, we will surely receive God the Father’s favor, and our prayers will be answered.

Furthermore, today's Word of God also reminds His children: when walking in the plan of God the Father, we must not seek fame, power, or the praise and acclamation of worldly people.

Be vigilant against Satan’s temptations in our souls and bodies, and in those around us, and eliminate their temptations.

Let us look to the example of Jesus Christ: after completing our work, retreat to be with God the Father, praying beside Him so that He may grant strength, to be vigilant against Satan’s temptations and to resist their temptations, thereby orienting ourselves towards God the Father, constantly obeying His holy will and always pleasing Him in all places and at all times, just as Jesus Christ constantly obeying God the Father’s holy will in all things.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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