FRIDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 8:1-4 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

"Lord, if you wish, you can make a clean." He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it. Be made clean." (Mt 8:2-3)

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Second Book of Kings

2 KGS 25:1-12

In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign,

on the tenth day of the month,

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army

advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it,

and built siege walls on every side.

The siege of the city continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah.

On the ninth day of the fourth month,

when famine had gripped the city,

and the people had no more bread,

the city walls were breached.

Then the king and all the soldiers left the city by night

through the gate between the two walls

that was near the king’s garden.

Since the Chaldeans had the city surrounded,

they went in the direction of the Arabah.

But the Chaldean army pursued the king

and overtook him in the desert near Jericho,

abandoned by his whole army.

The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblah

to the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him.

He had Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes.

Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters,

and had him brought to Babylon.On the seventh day of the fifth month

(this was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar,

king of Babylon),

Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard,

came to Jerusalem as the representative

of the king of Babylon.

He burned the house of the Lord,

the palace of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem;

every large building was destroyed by fire.

Then the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guard

tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.

Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,

led into exile the last of the people remaining in the city,

and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon,

and the last of the artisans.

But some of the country’s poor, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,

left behind as vinedressers and farmers.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew

MT 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,

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

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

“I will do it. Be made clean.”

His leprosy was cleansed immediately.

Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,

but go show yourself to the priest,

and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;

that will be proof for them.”

FRIDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 8:1-4

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God calls all humans to run to God the Father, and to ask for His mercy: “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” This is a petition to the all-loving and almighty God the Father, to ask Him to bring happiness to human souls. God the Father understands the pleas, and He will not turn a blind eye to the agonizing cries of the children of mankind.

God the Father tells all humanity that: more or less human beings, everyone will suffer from spiritual leprosy.

As we know, physical leprosy causes the patient pain with ulcers and pimples. When the bacteria spreads, limbs are gradually amputated and the patient becomes disabled and miserable, depressed, and disappointed. Through this, Jesus wanted to talk about spiritual leprosy, which is dryness and coldness before the love of God the Father. Because we do not love God above all things, we cannot love our brothers and sisters, because of selfishness, greed, and indifference to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. So people will be drawn by Satan into the path of living in sinful passion, in the filthy desires of the world. Gradually, they will turn the human soul into a callous one, losing consciousness of sin, not knowing mercy, and then the soul will fall into the hands of Satan without realizing it.

God the Father invites His children to run to the mercy of God the Father to please heal us of the leprosy of the body and soul, so that we can be clean, so that we live in His love and grace. Because He is rich in mercy, every second and every minute, He is still waiting with open arms for all of His children to abandon their sinful path, to return and fall into the arms of God the Father and let Him warm our soul as well as our body.

This is God the Father's call to all people:

- Run to God the Father, run to His loving heart to be healed by Him of our body and soul.

- Have the courage to give up the pleasures of the world, give up the riches and glories of the world. Give up everything and run to Him for refuge; Like the leper, he dared to overcome difficulties and barriers, overcome threats and prohibitions to determine to believe absolutely in God's love and mercy. Thanks to his absolute trust in God the Father's mercy, he was accepted by God the Father to heal his soul as well as his body.

Today, God the Father is also inviting his children to trust, to always believe in His mercy, and He will accept our prayers if we have a strong faith like this leper.

Thanks be to God. Amen.