杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

The day鈥檚 Gospel tells how a leper approached Jesus, saying 鈥淟ord, if you will, you can make me clean鈥�. In his homily, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that the leper鈥檚 request is a simple prayer, 鈥渁n act of confidence鈥� 鈥� but at the same time, 鈥渁 true challenge鈥�. It is plea that comes from the depths of his heart, which also reveals something about Jesus and His compassion for us. Jesus, the 杏MAP导航 said, suffers 鈥渨ith and for us鈥�, He takes the suffering of others upon Himself, comforting them and healing them in the name the love of the Father.

A true challenge

Reflecting on the 鈥渟imple鈥� story of the healing of the leper, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that the phrase, 鈥淚f you will鈥︹�� is a prayer that 鈥済ets God鈥檚 attention鈥�. 鈥淚t is a challenge鈥�, he said, 鈥渂ut also an act of confidence: I know that He can do it, and so I entrust myself to Him鈥�.

The leper was able to make this prayer, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渂ecause he saw how Jesus acted. This man had seen the compassion of Jesus鈥�. Compassion, not pity, is a 鈥渞efrain in the Gospel鈥� 鈥� a common theme seen in the story of the widow of Nain, and in the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son:

Compassion gets involved, it comes from the heart and gets involved, and it leads you to do something. Compassion is 鈥渟uffering with鈥�, taking the suffering of the other person upon yourself in order to resolve it, to heal it. And this was the mission of Jesus. Jesus did not come to preach the law and then leave. Jesus came in compassion, that is, to suffer with and for us and to give us life itself. The love of Jesus is so great that compassion led Him precisely to the Cross, to give His life.

Jesus does not wash His hands, but stands beside us

The 杏MAP导航 invited us to repeat 鈥渢his little phrase鈥� often. Because Jesus has compassion, the 杏MAP导航 explained, 鈥淗e is capable of involving Himself in our sorrows, in the problems of others鈥�. Jesus, he said, did not come simply to give a few sermons and then return to heaven; not to wash His hands.  He came to be close to us, and He remains always at our side.

杏MAP导航 Francis explained how this expression can be turned into a prayer that we can use every day:

鈥淟ord, if you will, you can heal me; if you will, you can forgive me; if you will, you can help me.鈥� Or, if you want, [you can make it] a little longer: 鈥淟ord, I am a sinner, have mercy on me, have compassion on me鈥�. A simple prayer that can be said many times a day. 鈥淟ord, I, a sinner, ask you: have mercy on me鈥�. Many times a day, inwardly, from the heart, without saying it out loud: 鈥淟ord, if you will, you can; if you will, you can. Have compassion on me鈥�. Repeat this.

A miraculous prayer

The leper, with his simple and 鈥渕iraculous鈥� prayer, was able to obtain healing thanks to the compassion of Jesus, who loves us despite our sinfulness.

He is not ashamed of us. 鈥淥 Father, I am a sinner, how can I say this?...鈥� [This is] better! For He came precisely for us sinners, and the greater a sinner you are, the closer the Lord is to you, for He has come for you, the greatest sinner; for me, the greatest sinner; for all of us. Let us make a habit of repeating this prayer, always: 鈥淟ord, if you will it, you can do it. If you will it, you can do it鈥�, with confidence that the Lord is close to us; and with His compassion, He will take upon Himself our problems, our sins, our inner diseases, everything.