If you wish, Lord, make me clean, the leper said, full of humility. (Matthew 8: 1 – 4) This humility stirred the heart of Jesus, and Jesus touched him gently, and he was cleansed.

Now, the wish of man is very important to the Lord. Anything that you wish will be given to you once you have faith in Christ, once you believe in the Lord, it will be done.

The Lord said I wish to see you cleansed, beautifully, mystically, purely by the will of God. The wish becomes the will of God. I will make you clean. And immediately the man is made clean.

And such it is in life; you wish to be people of God, you wish to give witness, to make use of your life, and the Lord makes sure that it is done.

Notice what the Lord says: Do not tell other people, but go and tell, tell the priest. Go and tell the priest. This priest must have been a very good priest.

Go tell him, and it will be a great witness to the people. The Lord here touches two people — the leper and the priest. And this priest must have felt so beautifully happy.

The Lord has sent this leper, sent this leper to the priest, and the priest is blessed by that. What is it about touching and blessing and being present to those who are ailing, who are in trouble, who are in difficulty? What is it that is so healing? The presence of a brother. The presence of a brother.

We are placing ourselves in the hands of each other, as this man places himself in the hands of Jesus. Jesus is always crowded with people.

People want to be with him. And we, ourselves, have come to religious life wanting to be with him, wanting to be with Christ. Reach out.

Reach out, brothers and sisters, and touch each other with your presence, with your kindness, with your love, with your faith and trust in each other. But also know that, in doing that, you are being touched by Christ, and Christ is touching you. That faith is very, very important, you know?

It’s good to encounter the Lord. It’s good to encounter the Lord in each other. What a great blessing it is, this community life. And what a blessing it is, the brother touching the poor. It is not just another person. It is Christ sending the brother to touch the poor ones, to bless them, to feed them, to close them. This is all the presence of God that is passing through.

Take care of one another, brothers and sisters. Take care of one another. Don’t withdraw from a moment of opportunity.

Jesus uses you. Jesus listens to the leper: “If you wish, Lord, cleanse me.”

And in a spirit of humility, go to the Lord and say to him: “Please make me clean, Lord. Do not let it be otherwise, because it is according to your will.”

And always, Jesus has respect, great respect for other people. If you invoke Christ in your daily life, asking, “Lord, be with me,” as you go to work, as you feed the people, clothe them, clean the floors, you are showing respect. Christ is showing the people respect through you.

Very Rev Father Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor, 87 Hanover Street, PO Box 8525, Kingston CSO, Jamaica.

Tel: (876) 550-8987. Email: mopfounder81@gmail.com

Web: www.missionariesofthepoor.org