Reading 1
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
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.”
Meditation: Matthew 8:1-4
I will do it. Be made clean. (Matthew 8:3)
The leper whom Jesus healed showed great faith. He was convinced that Jesus could help him if he wanted to. But knowing that wasn’t enough; he had to do something about it as well. Despite his disfigurement and illness, he made his way through the crowd and walked up to Jesus. It took all the courage he had to declare: “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2). Jesus rewarded his confidence: In an instant, his leprosy was gone. But that wasn’t the end of the story.
After healing him, Jesus asked the leper to show himself to the priest. That was another test of faith, for this man had no reason to expect that a priest would believe him. In Israel, leprosy was seen as more than a disease. It was a punishment from God for sin, either in the leper’s life or his family’s. The priest might scoff at him, saying that Jesus was a heretic and couldn’t heal anyone. He might question the leper’s faithfulness to Judaism for even listening to Jesus. But how could he keep it a secret? Jesus had healed him!
Are you like this leper? Even if you haven’t been healed of a terrible disease, you have received God’s overflowing grace. You have entered into a new life in Christ, and he is asking you to let people know about it. Jesus has commissioned all of us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
Every time you celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you relive this gospel story. You enter the confessional like the leper, afflicted with sin but turning to Jesus for help and healing. And every time you confess your sins, he responds by cleansing you and lifting you up. Now it’s up to you to “go show yourself”—through your witness of humility, joy, and peace—to the people around you. Don’t spend a lot of time talking about it, either. Just let them see what Jesus has done for you, and they will be moved to seek out the Lord for themselves!
“Lord, thank you for cleansing me of my sin—and for promising to cleanse me every time I confess to you. Teach me, Father, how to share your love with the people around me so that they too can know your healing, merciful presence.”
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