A Homily on Mark 1:40–45: The Healing Touch (15-1-26)

 A reflection on Mark 1:40–45, revealing how Christ’s compassionate touch continues today through the Church and daily life.

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

One cold evening, while riding on horseback, a young soldier noticed a poor man shivering by the roadside. Many people had already passed him. Some looked at him with pity. Others avoided him and went their way. The soldier himself had nothing extra to give. Yet something within him refused to move on. He stopped, took his cloak, cut it into two, and shared it with the poor man. That very night, he saw Christ in a dream, clothed in that half cloak and saying, “What you did to him, you did to me.” That soldier later became Saint Martin of Tours. Saint Martin did not perform a miracle. He did not speak great words. He simply allowed his heart to be moved and his hands to act. That simple human gesture became a sacred encounter with Christ.

The Gospel today, Mark 1:40 to 45, brings us into a similar moment. A man with leprosy approaches Jesus and kneels before him. His words are few, yet full of faith and pain, “If you will, you can make me clean.” This man had lived for years without touch, without closeness, and without dignity. His sickness had separated him not only from people, but also from worship and community life.

The Old Testament helps us understand his suffering more deeply. In the Book of Leviticus, a person with leprosy was declared unclean and forced to live outside the camp. He could not enter the temple. He could not mix with others. Even religious law kept him at a distance. This was meant to protect holiness, yet it left many wounded and lonely.

Jesus responds in a completely new way. He stretches out his hand and touches the man. This moment changes everything. According to the Law, touching an unclean person should make one unclean. But in Jesus, we see a deeper truth taught by the Church. His holiness is not weakened by human misery. Instead, his mercy flows outward and heals it. The man becomes clean because love is stronger than fear.

The Church teaches us that Christ continues this healing touch today. In Baptism, God touches our life and restores us as his children. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Christ reaches into our brokenness and lifts the burden of sin. In the Eucharist, he comes even closer, touching us with his own Body and Blood. These are not distant actions. They are living encounters. Yet the Gospel also reminds us that this touch must continue beyond the church walls.

In our daily family life, many wounds remain unseen. A word spoken in anger. A silence that lasts too long. A person who feels ignored though physically present. Slowly, hearts become distant. People live together, yet feel alone. This is a kind of leprosy of the heart.

Jesus invites us to stretch out our hands as he did. When parents bless their children before sleep, Christ touches them. When a husband or wife chooses patience over harshness, healing begins. When an elderly parent is listened to with respect, dignity is restored. These small acts may appear ordinary, but they carry the power of the Gospel.

Saint Martin teaches us that we do not need to change the whole world. We only need to respond to the person placed before us. Half a cloak was enough for Christ to reveal himself. If our prayer does not soften our hearts and make our hands gentler at home, then we have not fully allowed Christ to touch us.

 Lord Jesus, touch my heart that I may touch others  Amen.

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God Bless…