In our modern day world leprosy is known as Hansen’s Disease. As time has passed we have learned a lot concerning this disease and how to properly treat it. At one point in time this disease was thought of as being highly contagious, but we now know that to not be the case. Nevertheless, at the time of our Gospel is was seen as being highly contagious and therefore extreme measures had to be put into place in order to protect the community.
Therefore the plight of leprosy keeps an individual at a distance from being able to enter back into communion with the community. When one begins to show symptoms of leprosy they are to go before the priest and after an evaluation will be named unclean. Once this happens they are sent off to live at a distance and are to have no contact with anyone who doesn’t have leprosy which includes their children and property which had been separated from them. As they walk about they are to also ring a bell to warn others that they are approaching a leper.
Another interesting aspect to leprosy is the fact that it moves slowly. Before symptoms show you would of been infected with the bacteria that causes it for a very long time. Symptoms then begin to show which are usually pale or slightly red areas on the skin. If this is left untreated it grows worse and can even lead to more serious symptoms such as paralysis.
In our Gospel Christ encounters ten who bare the burden of leprosy. It is noted that they “stood afar off” form they had been separated from the community through this burden. Christ then instructed them to return to the priest for it was only the priest who could evaluate them to declare them clean just bringing them back into the community, restoring their property, and reuniting them with their family. It was while on the way that they were made clean for they approached the priests with faith. They did not just have any faith, but faith placed in the healing mercy of Christ Jesus.
It is through our sin that we stand afar off from our Blessed Lord. He desires that we draw close to Him, but do we have the faith to do so? Or instead are we content with standing afar off through our participation in a life of sin and death? Leprosy makes a perfect analogy into the reality of sin. Sin seeps into our life and if left unchecked will grow worse until the point that we have entered into a life of mortal sin which destroys sanctifying grace and become content with our current state of life.
Our Gospel shows us that Christ does not want us to be left afar off. He desires that we be made clean and return into communion with Him. Indeed their is no sin that we can commit within this life which is too great for His infinite mercy. Despite the reality of this there are still those who will to stay afar off for they want nothing to do with the Sacrament of Confession and a life of conversion. This day may we seek out the infinite mercy of the Lord and always draw into communion with the one who restored us to life upon the wood of the cross.
