Leprosy was a highly contagious disease. Those who had it left homes and families, to live isolated lives in colonies, as prescribed by the laws of that time. In today’s Gospel reading, what was the afflicted person doing in the town? Probably breaking boundaries to encounter the ultimate Boundary Breaker. Not religious taboos but human concern prompts the Lord’s  behavior. The man’s plea for healing is responded to. There is tension all around, as the Lord reaches out and touches him. Tension, because they believed that contact with the unclean renders one unclean as well. We too may have someone obnoxious, offensive or not pleasant to live with. We may sadly wish they be far away from us. The other in our life may covertly wish they had someone else to live with. The Lord in healing shows the importance of reuniting and restoring our struggles to be one. He invites us to come to the Ultimate Boundary Breaker, to empower us to become boundary breakers too.

PRAYER: Abba Father, may we be one as you and Jesus are One. Amen.