Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (5: 12-16) in which a man with leprosy begs Jesus to cure him.

Fr Paul notes that the meaning of the word ‘epiphany’ is manifestation or appearance. These Gospel readings we have been hearing this week are all about the appearance of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, Fr Paul says, we are given an example of the healing activity of Jesus and we see the sympathy and love of Jesus openly displayed for all to see.

Fr Paul is very mindful in this passage of the Leper, who comes to Jesus, falls before him, and says ‘if you want to, you can cure me’ and we see the beautiful response of Jesus to reach out and touch a Leper, which would have been unheard of in those times. And then to say those words, ‘Of course, I want to, be cured’.  It is a beautiful interaction between the two.

At the end of this Gospel there is a reminder to the Apostles; that reminder is that the mission of Jesus must always have prayer as its foundation. As we hear at the end of the Gospel, Jesus needs to constantly communicate with his Father, and we are urged to do the same.

Fr Paul invites us, during our prayer today, to reflect on ‘What needs healing in my life at the moment? Is prayer the foundation of my life?’