Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,‚”I will do it. Be made clean.”
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.This line “if you wish, you can make me clean” is how I begin my nightly examine everyday. This is one of those statements of pure faith (like: “my Lord and my God”), that express the deepest yearnings of our hearts. We need to learn how to incorporate these expressions into our daily lives, because they speak to something that is very important in our lives, and that is to talk to God from our hearts.
The stain of sin is something that we alone as humans bring upon ourselves, and it is a stain that we cannot remove on our own. Only God has the power to remove this stain from our souls. And so we are then left with this humble petition for God to save us, and to clean us. He is not going to force himself on us, He will only cleanse us if we cooperate with Him, but He is more than willing to do it if we simply ask. So like the leper in this story, we must be humble in our petitions, but we must be bold in our asking. Do not be afraid, God is happy to help us, just simply ask.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh lord, help us today to humbly ask for your forgiveness, and allow you to clean us from the stain of sin, amen.