Be for me a protective God and a place of refuge, to save me. For you are my strength and my refuge, and because of your name you guide and sustain me.

First Reading: 2 Kings 5,9-14 The Word of God illuminates our paths and solidifies our faith in the compassionate action of Jesus, who teaches us that the glory of God is the human being alive and free from situations of illness and prejudice. Reading from the second book of Kings – In those days, 9Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be healed and you will be clean.” 11Naaman, angry, went away, saying: “I thought he would come out to meet me and that he would stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and that he would touch the place of leprosy with his hand and heal me. 12Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Farfar, better than all the waters of Israel, for me to bathe in them and be clean?” He turned around and left indignantly. 13But his servants came to him and said to him, “Lord, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? How much more so now that he has said to you: ‘Wash and you will be clean’.” 14So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had commanded, and his flesh became like that of a little child, and he was purified. - Word of the Lord. Optional reading: Leviticus 13:1-2.44-46. Responsorial Psalm: 31(32) You are, Lord, for me, joy and refuge. 1. Happy is the man who has been forgiven / and whose fault has already been covered up! / Happy is the man whom the Lord † no longer regards as being guilty / and in whose soul there is no falsehood! – R. 2. I confessed, after all, my sin / and my lack I made known to you. / Said: “I will confess my sin!” / And you forgave, Lord, my fault. – R. 3. Rejoice, O righteous ones, in God † and in the Lord rejoice for joy! / Upright hearts, sing joyfully! – R. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10,31-11,1 Reading of the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians – Brothers, 31whether you eat or drink, whether you do anything else, do everything for the glory of God. 32Do not offend anyone, whether Jews or Greeks or the Church of God. 33Do as I do, who seek to please everyone in everything, not seeking what is advantageous for myself, but what is advantageous for all, so that they may be saved. 11,1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. - Word of the Lord. Gospel: Mark 1,40-45 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. A great prophet arose, / arose and showed himself among us; / it is God that his people visit, / his people my God visited! (Lc 7,16) – R. Proclamation of the holy Gospel according to Mark – At that time, 40a leper came close to Jesus and, on his knees, asked: “If you want, you have the power to heal me”. 41Jesus, full of compassion, reached out his hand, touched him and said: “I want: be healed!” 42At once the leprosy disappeared and he was cured. 43So Jesus immediately sent him away, 44saying firmly: “Don’t tell anyone about this! Go, show yourself to the priest and offer, for your purification, what Moses commanded, as proof for them!” 45He went and began to tell and publicize the fact a lot. That's why Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city: he stayed outside, in deserted places. And they came looking for him from everywhere. – Word of salvation. Reflection Full of confidence in divine power, a leper breaks the barrier of religious and social prejudice and approaches Jesus. Considered unclean, lepers had to isolate themselves, and whoever touched their skin became unclean. This is why Jesus is angry. His anger is against the institution that excludes lepers. Unable to cure him, he marginalizes him. Jesus, instead, heals him, restoring his dignity as a man and citizen, with equal rights in society. Jesus, “severely threatening him”, asks him not to tell anyone about the fact. A strong appeal, in order to avoid interference from religious leaders. Defenders of the law of clean/impure, they would not allow anyone who had become unclean by touching a leper to circulate freely! Jesus goes to a deserted place and there continues to offer freedom and life to everyone.

​Be for me a protective God and a place of refuge, to save me. For you are my strength and my refuge, and because of your name you guide and sustain me.

First Reading: 2 Kings 5,9-14 The Word of God illuminates our paths and solidifies our faith in the compassionate action of Jesus, who teaches us that the glory of God is the human being alive and free from situations of illness and prejudice. Reading from the second book of Kings – In those days, 9Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be healed and you will be clean.” 11Naaman, angry, went away, saying: “I thought he would come out to meet me and that he would stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and that he would touch the place of leprosy with his hand and heal me. 12Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Farfar, better than all the waters of Israel, for me to bathe in them and be clean?” He turned around and left indignantly. 13But his servants came to him and said to him, “Lord, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? How much more so now that he has said to you: ‘Wash and you will be clean’.” 14So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had commanded, and his flesh became like that of a little child, and he was purified. - Word of the Lord. Optional reading: Leviticus 13:1-2.44-46. Responsorial Psalm: 31(32) You are, Lord, for me, joy and refuge. 1. Happy is the man who has been forgiven / and whose fault has already been covered up! / Happy is the man whom the Lord † no longer regards as being guilty / and in whose soul there is no falsehood! – R. 2. I confessed, after all, my sin / and my lack I made known to you. / Said: “I will confess my sin!” / And you forgave, Lord, my fault. – R. 3. Rejoice, O righteous ones, in God † and in the Lord rejoice for joy! / Upright hearts, sing joyfully! – R. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10,31-11,1 Reading of the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians – Brothers, 31whether you eat or drink, whether you do anything else, do everything for the glory of God. 32Do not offend anyone, whether Jews or Greeks or the Church of God. 33Do as I do, who seek to please everyone in everything, not seeking what is advantageous for myself, but what is advantageous for all, so that they may be saved. 11,1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. - Word of the Lord. Gospel: Mark 1,40-45 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. A great prophet arose, / arose and showed himself among us; / it is God that his people visit, / his people my God visited! (Lc 7,16) – R. Proclamation of the holy Gospel according to Mark – At that time, 40a leper came close to Jesus and, on his knees, asked: “If you want, you have the power to heal me”. 41Jesus, full of compassion, reached out his hand, touched him and said: “I want: be healed!” 42At once the leprosy disappeared and he was cured. 43So Jesus immediately sent him away, 44saying firmly: “Don’t tell anyone about this! Go, show yourself to the priest and offer, for your purification, what Moses commanded, as proof for them!” 45He went and began to tell and publicize the fact a lot. That's why Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city: he stayed outside, in deserted places. And they came looking for him from everywhere. – Word of salvation. Reflection Full of confidence in divine power, a leper breaks the barrier of religious and social prejudice and approaches Jesus. Considered unclean, lepers had to isolate themselves, and whoever touched their skin became unclean. This is why Jesus is angry. His anger is against the institution that excludes lepers. Unable to cure him, he marginalizes him. Jesus, instead, heals him, restoring his dignity as a man and citizen, with equal rights in society. Jesus, “severely threatening him”, asks him not to tell anyone about the fact. A strong appeal, in order to avoid interference from religious leaders. Defenders of the law of clean/impure, they would not allow anyone who had become unclean by touching a leper to circulate freely! Jesus goes to a deserted place and there continues to offer freedom and life to everyone.

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