The leper asked to be cleansed rather than to be cured, because being able to again join the others in prayer meant more to him than being cured.

Thursday, 1/12/12

It is interesting that the leper asked Jesus to make him clean, rather than to cure him. Is leprosy was a double whammy for the man. For one thing, it made him ill, gradually crippling him; for another thing, it made him ritually unclean, so that he could not join others in the synagogue.

By asking Jesus to make him clean, rather than to cure him, the man was showing that his health did not mean as much to him having an end put to his being kept from joining others in prayer.

Which means more to us, our spiritual or our physical well being? Are we more likely to fast for our spiritual health,or to diet for our physical well being?

Those of us trained by nuns, and regularly lined up for confession grew up with a strong need to avoid things that would be sins. We don’t hear similar fears express by today’s kids. They just don’t want to do things that would get them into trouble.