B: 6th Sun of OrdTime (11 Feb 2018) - TREATING OTHERS LIKE LEPERS? - Mk 1:40-45

Our First Reading and our Gospel today both talk about the condition of someone afflicted with leprosy. However, it should not be equated with our present-day connotation of leprosy, or the so-called Hansen's disease. The Hebrew word for it is "ṣaraʿaṯ" but "this term encompassed a variety of conditions characterized by chronic discoloration of surfaces, including human skin and the walls of houses (Lev. 14:34-57)" (H. Avalos, Eerdmans Dictionary). The Greek word used is "lepros" which refers to someone "having a serious skin disorder, with a bad skin disease" (cf. BDAG). Hence, a "leper" in the Bible is "when a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot" (Lev 13:2). Simply put, a leper is somebody with any skin disease, including even a simple scaly or scabby affliction.

Since the biblical context is at least 2,000 years ago when no much advancements in medicine were readily available, we can understand why in biblical passages these lepers were separated from society, living alone outside the camp (cf. Lev. 13:46). They could only be reintegrated back once they are declared clean by the priests in the temple (cf. Mk 1:44). Indeed, this procedure is not only for the leper's good but more for the community lest others would also be infected. The only downside to this measure is that lepers would naturally feel sorry on themselves, believing that they are unwanted and are punished by God. The psychological pain of the condition weighs even heavier than the disease itself. They would really feel abandoned by the society and God.

Jesus, in our Gospel, realizes this very important detail of the need of uplifting the spirits of the leper before healing him. Thus, "Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him" (Mk 1:41). Jesus' act of touching a leper makes himself not only susceptible to contamination but ceremonially unclean as well. But Jesus did this because he was "moved with pity". The Greek verb used here is "splagchnizomai" which normally is the word used for compassion in the Gospels (e.g., Mt 9:16; Mk 9:22; Lk 10:33). But the term is actually derived from the noun "splagchnon" which means "the inward parts of a body, including esp. the viscera, inward parts, entrails" (cf. BDAG). It can be said then that compassion is something that disturbs one's internal organs, or something that would turn one to throw up.

There has been much psychological damage effected by the Duterte administration since it began its War on Drugs, its all-out-war in Marawi, and its ongoing Martial Law in Mindanao. Many lives were indeed lost, but nobody seem to be bothered about the psychological ill-effects of all of these to the victims' families. Many lives are traumatized, harassed, and threatened. Yet, we act as if we have no compassion for them (or, in biblical language, our internal organs are not disturbed, so to speak).

The damage has been done; the lost lives can never be replaced. I just pray that the government will at least be humble enough to realize this and begin helping the victims' family to recover from their psycho-social hurts and to pick up their normal lives. Yet, if the government does not act, it does not absolve us from not acting on our personal capacity (see for example SVST's Project SOW http://www.svst.edu.ph/project-sow.html). If we have compassion for them, let us support one another.

- Rex Fortes, CM