Leviticus 13:1-2, 45-46 / 1 Cor 10:31 – 11:1 / Mark 1:40-45
During this festive period, we would probably be doing two things, and that is visiting and feasting.
We will be visiting our relatives and friends, and doing that once-a-year pilgrimage of paying respects to our elders.
The children, especially the younger ones, will look forward to these visits, as it means that there will be “ang pows” to collect.
As usual, during such occasions, people are busy, noisy as well as nosy.
Yes, people will be busy eating till they can't talk.
And if they still can talk, then they will be busy asking all those nosy questions, like …
Which school are you studying in?
Where are you working?
When are you getting married?
When are you going to have baby?
If we are tired of entertaining those questions, then maybe we can put our replies online, and tell them to check it out, and even give a “like”.
Well, festive occasions like these are usually busy, noisy and nosy, and that adds to the festive atmosphere.
But in the midst of the festive atmosphere, there are some people who will be left out.
There are some elderly who stay alone, or reside in a nursing home, and maybe no one will visit them during this festive period.
There are some who are homebound or hospitalized, and they can only wait for others to visit them.
There are some who are just alone, for some reason, and they feel the loneliness especially during this festive period.
But, even outside of the busy, noisy and nosy festive occasions, there are people who are left out and feeling lonely.
The gospel reminds us of the presence of those who are left out and lonely, as well as those who are the least, the last and the lost.
We don't often notice them because they are not often mentioned, and we don't see them in public.
So, the leper in today's Gospel is a symbol of those who are left out and lonely, and those who are the least, the last and the lost.
For the leper, just the feeling of being left out and lonely was more painful than the leprosy, and that made him seek out Jesus and to ask for a cure.
In our modern times, leprosy may not be that widespread thanks to the advancement of medical science and health-care.
But, there is the reality of people who are lonely and being left out, and those who are the least, the last and the lost.
They may not be crying out loud for attention, but Jesus wants us to think about them and to care for them.
And some of these people are as close to us as in our family members and loved ones.
On Friday evening, I went home for the traditional reunion dinner with my mother.
We already had a sort of reunion dinner with my brother and his family a week ago.
But last Friday I knew I had to go home for that dinner as there was a significance.
Usually, the reunion dinner with the family is held on the eve of Chinese New Year.
This year was just my mother and me. My sister passed on exactly a year ago, and so it was a rather quiet dinner.
During dinner, my mother mentioned that last year, we had a simple reunion dinner at the hospital where my sister was being treated.
And after a while, my mother mentioned that my sister went on to see the 15 days of the Chinese New Year before returning to the Lord on the 16th day.
Those bits and pieces of her recollection of my sister tells me that my mother still thinks about the loss of her daughter.
And I also thank God that I was with my mother in her moment of loneliness and that she didn't feel left out and forgotten on the significant occasion of the reunion dinner.
So, let us look, and let us listen to the voices of those who are lonely and those who are left out.
They may not cry out loud, and all they need is a little love and care.
The gospel reminds us that Jesus came for the lonely, the left-outs, the least, the last and the lost.
He came to show God's love to them and to give them hope that there are people who will listen to them and care for them.
So, if we feel a prompting to visit someone, or to give a call to someone, then it could be Jesus who is showing us who are the lonely and who are those that are being left out.
That little act of love, and that bit of time spent with them, will be enough for them to know that Jesus loves and cares for them.