The leper obviously recognizes that Jesus can heal him. There is no doubt in the leper’s mind. The leper doesn’t say, “Perhaps you can make me clean.” No, he is very definite, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” The leper has full confidence that Jesus can do this. In the Old Testament, the Israelites believed that only God had the ability to make a leper clean.

Our whole life may seem to be these ailments or problems, and we may feel like there is nothing else in the world that matters. This is the kind of world that Jesus entered. God became flesh and entered right into the darkness and suffering. God was not above everything watching what was going on with us.

Simeon’s response when he met the infant Jesus was to pray; he blessed God. Anna’s response on meeting the child Jesus was to speak about Jesus to others, especially to those who were waiting for God to visit them in a special way.

Jesus is still purifying His bride today. He wants to rid us of anything that may cause damage to our souls. If we don’t harden our hearts; if we are attentive to His voice; we will cooperate with His grace in our purification.

In the second reading the Church offers us a passage from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Paul was challenged in leading the Corinthian Christians to a fully devout Christian life. The city of Corinth was what Nineveh was to the ancient Jews.

In our Gospel reading, we heard another example of some people who listened attentively. John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. Two disciples of John heard what he said and followed Jesus. They would have understood what John meant by calling Jesus the Lamb of God. This would have referred to the Passover lamb that the Jews sacrificed during the Exodus from Egypt.