How Saint Francis was cured of his fear by a leper

Gospel of the Day (Mark 1:40-45)

A leper came to him (and kneeling down) begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean."

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean."

The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.

Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

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Reflections:

How Saint Francis was cured of his fear by a leper

One day, when [the young] Francis was mounting his horse near Assisi, a leper came towards him. He usually had a great repugnance for lepers and so, forcing himself, he dismounted from his horse and gave the man a coin, kissing his hand. When he had received the kiss of peace from the leper he remounted and went his way. From that time on he began to rise above himself more and more until he attained complete mastery over himself by the grace of God.

Some days later, being equipped with a great deal of money, he made his way towards the leper hospital and, when he had called them all together, he gave alms to each one, kissing their hands. On his return, it is correct to say that what had formerly seemed distasteful to him – namely, to see or touch a leper – was transformed into sweetness. To see a leper, as he happened to say, was hard for him to such an extent that not only did he refuse to see them but even to go near their dwelling. If he sometimes happened to see them or to pass by their leprosarium..., he turned his head away and blocked his nose. But God's grace made him friendly with the lepers to such an extent that, as he attests in his Testament, he used to stay with them and serve them humbly. Visiting the lepers transformed him.