Tuesday, October 29(16), 2024
Philip. 1:8-14;  Lk.5:12-16

The man with leprosy fell before the Lord, beseeching Him, saying “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”. “I will, ─ said the Lord, ─ “be thou clean”. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. [Lk.5:12-13].

 Much the same way, any moral leprosy departs from us as soon as we fall before the Lord with faith, repentance and confession of sins, ─ it departs indeed and loses all its power it once had over our soul.  Why, then, it would return back ever so often?  It happens for the same reason as with physical sickness which, being cured, can also return back.  Though the doctors would instruct a recovering patient: “Don’t do that, refrain from this, stay away from those things”, ─ he ignores their warning and falls sick again.  The same happens in the spiritual life. We ought to be constant in sobriety, in vigilance and prayer: that prevents the sinful disease from coming back.  Should we ignore this prescription, should we open our mind and senses to all kinds of adverse influences, allowing ourselves to see, hear, say and do just everything, the sinful afflictions are guaranteed to regain power and attack us again before long.

The Lord told the leper to go and follow all the requirements of the Law, “according as Moses commanded” [Lk. 5:14].  For us that means the following: the penance received from the priest at the confession has to be scrupulously followed: there is a great protecting power in it.  Yet someone would complain: “My sinful habit has taken me over, I cannot do anything with myself!”  This happens when his repentance was imperfect, or confession incomplete, or he is not following the instructions he has received, of simply playing a fool.  Willing to achieve success without serious effort and self-restraint, such a person becomes laughing stock for the enemy.

Make a resolution to stand firm, even unto death, ─ and act upon it: you will see how much power it gives to you!  Though it is true that the enemy takes over the soul through a seemingly irresistible passion, this is not an excuse for indolence: the enemy will retract as soon as you, with God’s help, take a turn to recovery inside.

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