Treatment for Scaly Infections (Leviticus 13 and Mark 1: 40-45)

The First Reading and Gospel for today present a nice contrast of the attitude towards leprosy. 


The First Reading from Leviticus describes how lepers must be treated.


"The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp."


In other words, the leper becomes socially excluded.


In the Gospel, Jesus heals a leper by touching him. Jesus' touch sets aside rules of social exclusion which deems anyone who touches an unclean person to be unclean. Jesus also tells the leper to present himself to the priests so that the leper may be formally re-introduced into the Jewish community.

I think Jesus' mission is truly catholic, i.e. universal. He seeks to integrate everyone into his community, especially those who have been excluded through man-made laws.