If You wish, you can make me clean - is a great prayer

Gospel Thoughts*

*Sixth Week : Sunday*

*GOSPEL - Mk 1:40-45*

*First Reading - Lv 13:1-2, 44-46*

*Second Reading - 1 Cor 10:31-11:1*

*If You wish, you can make me clean - is a great prayer*

*1) If you wish, you can make me clean*

This is a great prayer from the leper, because the leper surrenders himself completely to the will of God 

This is a great prayer, because in it there is lot of trust, faith, humility is found from the part of the leper 

This is a great prayer because, the leper is ready to accept any response from Jesus. 

This is a great prayer because, ultimately the leper believes that healing is primarily God's work and it is a great gift of God. Ultimately Healing has to come from God, we can do nothing 

*2) This prayer is similar to the Prayer of Jesus in the Gethsemane*

Jesus said *Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. - Luke 22:42*

Leper said *If you wish, you can make me clean.* Mark 1:41

Both these prayers similar and we must wonder that a leper can pray like Jesus 

In this prayer the spiritual depth of the leper is seen and he becomes an model for all of us 

*3) Leper had garve need, but was able to accept the will of God*

Curing from the leprosy was a genuine need for the leper 

Since this was first and urgent need, even then the Leper didn't demand from Jesus, for the cure. 

Even in this grave necessity, the Leper makes a gentle request to Jesus *If you wish you can make me clean*

This shows the gentleness and humility even in the midst of grave health problem of the leper 

*4) The prayer of the Leper was answered with a miracle*

All genuine and sincere prayers addressed to Jesus were met with wonderful results 

Even this simple and sincere prayer was answered with a great miracle 

Jesus cures the Leper and the person was given the gift of good heath 

So all these genuine prayers were answered by Jesus 

*5) Am I able to pray like the Leper*

The very fact that the prayer was answered by Jesus shows that the prayer of the leper was sincere and genuine

If so the leper becomes an model for the pray with sincere heart 

So the question is Am I able to pray like the leper? 

*6) The hurdles to pray like the leper*

We need to indentify various hurdles which we encounter to pray like the leper 

Some time we may lack the humility like that of the leper 

Some time we may demand from God, instead of making a genuine request 

Some time we may find fault with God, for giving us various problems and challenges. But the leper never complained about his leprosy

If so what are my challenges or problems in making a genuine prayer?

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim Dsouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*