First Reading: (1 Samuel 4:1–11)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 44:10–11, 14–15, 24–25)
R. (27b) Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Alleluia
Matthew 4:23
“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.”
Gospel: (Mark 1:40–45)
Reflection
Today’s readings juxtapose misplaced faith with compassionate encounter.
In the First Reading, Israel treats the Ark of the Covenant as a kind of talisman, presuming that God’s presence, symbolized by the ark, will automatically guarantee victory. Without true obedience, humility, or seeking God’s will, this faith becomes hollow and leads to catastrophic loss, including the capture of the ark itself.
The Psalm echoes this lament, pleading for mercy and for God not to hide His face, a profound acknowledgement that human efforts alone, no matter how religiously framed, are insufficient.
In sharp contrast, the Gospel shows the true heart of God’s presence in Jesus. The leper approaches not a symbol, but the living Lord, with trust and humility. Jesus does not recoil; instead, moved by compassion, He touches what was considered unclean and restores what was broken. Jesus’ healing is relational and transformative, not magical or automatic.
Today’s call for us is to examine where we place our trust. Do we rely on outward signs or rituals as guarantees of God’s favor? Or do we come to Jesus personally, handing over our need for mercy and healing?
Like the leper, let us approach Him with humility and trust, confident that His touch restores and sends us forth to testify, not to keep silent, about the wonder of His mercy.
God bless you
Pal Ronnie
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