Daily Gospel Reflection for January 16, 2025

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Have you ever had your children beg you for something? I mean truly go on an ad campaign to be able to earn a privilege or receive a certain item. They pour their focus into convincing you that you have the power to change the course of their entire life with your action. They offer a number of sacrifices: “I promise I’ll never have a messy room again” or the classic, “If I get this, I’ll never ask for anything ever again.” Perhaps you relent, because ultimately you want to see them happy. In your heart, you may know that they won’t fully keep with the condition you provided, but you have calculated the costs even if they haven’t.

In today’s Gospel, we encounter a leper, a man with a common plight of his day, approaching Jesus. A man no doubt thrown out of society for the fear of this disease has the courage to approach Jesus with a bold line:

“If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Then, the second he is healed, he disobeys Jesus’ order not to share this news with anyone. When I hear this line in Scripture, I can’t help but think that Jesus knew the leper would speak in the same way we know our kids will have a messy room again, or will ask for more things.

And yet, Jesus is “moved with pity,” and still wills for this man to be made clean, despite what it is going to cost Him. When have we entered this scenario with God, our Father? God knows our bargains are feeble, and yet He enters into our lives and heals us anyway, and willingly pays the cost of the cross.

Ponder:

When have we received a gift of God in our lives and immediately turned around and disobeyed Him?

Pray:

Ever Merciful Lord, we come to You in thanksgiving that You will us clean, with Your patience and compassion. Guide us this day to be grateful for Your sacrifices for us, even went we fall short of Your will for us.

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