February 11 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Broken but Restored

First Reading  Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46

The Law regarding leprosy is given to Moses and Aaron

 

Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 32:1-2,5,11

A prayer of contrition and confession for sin.

 

Second Reading  1 Corinthians 10:31—11:1

Paul urges the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ.

 

Gospel Reading Mark 1:40-45

 

In the ancient society no figure was more pathetic than a leper. People were deadly afraid they would catch the disease from him. The leper’s life was a living hell. To such a tragic leper Jesus reached out his hand lovingly, touched the man, and healed him. This story illustrates something that happens over and over in life. It tells us that no tragedy is so terrible that we can’t survive it. It tells us that no calamity is so crushing that we can’t recover from it. It tells us that no disaster is so destructive that we can’t pick up the pieces ad tart over again, in one form or the other. Whenever we think our life is ruined forever, we need only turn to Jesus. He can repair our broken life. Jesus can do more. He can even make from a broken life something better and more beautiful than it was before.