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

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

FIRST READING - 1 John 5:5-13

A reading from the first Letter of John

Beloved:

Who indeed is the victor over the world

but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,

not by water alone, but by water and Blood.

The Spirit is the one who testifies,

and the Spirit is truth.

So there are three who testify,

the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,

and the three are of one accord.

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.

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.

And this is the testimony:

God gave us eternal life,

and this life is in his Son.

Whoever possesses the Son has life;

whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

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 - Luke 5:12-16

From the Gospel according to Luke

It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;

and when he saw Jesus,

he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,

“I do will it. Be made clean.”

And the leprosy left him immediately.

Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but

“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing

what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

The report about him spread all the more,

and great crowds assembled to listen to him

and to be cured of their ailments,

but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY - Gospel (Lk 5:12-16)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word, God manifests His power in this world by healing the sick and teaching His people.

Today, He heals a person with leprosy - an incurable disease at that time; through that, He teaches and reminds those who are sick in spirit and body, to run to God so that He can heal them. Because only God has power over the human body and over Satan. Satan brings eternal suffering and death to people when they live in hatred, sin, worldly passions, and desires. People cannot drive them out of their souls and bodies due to their weakness. Only by relying on the power of the Almighty God and His power over Satan can we control them and force them to release people from their bondage.

Like the image of the leper today, this soul longed to ask God for healing. The leprosy made his body dirty and unclean, and his soul was suffocated by Satan, causing him pain and agony. God mercifully accepted his desperate plea. He drove Satan out of this man's body and soul and he was immediately healed.

With faith and desire, this leper was healed by God, which shows that all of His power covers this world, and all of His creations, and nothing can escape His power and direction. That is the Word of God reminding His children to know how to wisely run to seek God, to pray to Him, to ask Him to heal their bodies and souls to ask Him to drive all of Satan out of our bodies and souls. Pray with sincere desire and great faith. Then surely God will graciously accept our prayers.

Besides, the Word of God today also reminds His children: do not be greedy for fame. Especially for those who dedicate their lives to the service of God, do not be greedy for power, do not crave praise and recognition from the world. Be alert to the temptations of Satan in your own body and soul, in those around you, to eliminate all temptations. Look to the example of Jesus Christ: after finishing His work, withdrawing to God, praying to Him for strength, to be alert to the temptations of Satan, and resist temptations by directing everything to God, by obeying the will of God at all times and in all places and always pleasing Him in all circumstances as Jesus Christ always obeyed the will of God in all things.

Thanks be to God. Amen.