Bible Reading February 12
Reading 1 Lv 13:1-2, 44-46The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
“If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.”The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11
R. (7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Reading 2 1 Cor 10:31-11:1
Brothers and sisters,
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or
the church of God,
just as I try to please everyone in every way,
not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,
that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Gospel Mk 1:40-45
A leper came to Jesus 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 the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
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.
First Reading, Lv13:1-2, 44-46The Loving Programmer told Moses and Arron how to treat those who had leprosy. First of all, Aaron could tell the difference between the diseased people and those who were not afflicted. He could tell the “leprosy virus” from the less virulent diseases.Those with leprosy were commanded to announce to all that they were, in fact, “unclean”. The symbolism is clear, those afflicted with sin must recognize their error. Before they can be re-admitted into society, they have to let people know that they recognize they have something wrong with them and can change. While in sin, they must stay away from others.Responsorial Psalm, Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11
R. I turn to You, Loving Programmer, when my program is in danger of being damaged, and knowing that you can restore and protect my program fills me, knowing that I may be with You forever.
The human program whose errors are taken away and whose viruses are expelled is blessed. Blessed he whom The Loving Programmer does not find guilty, who doesn’t try to fool Him or his neighbors.
R.
When I told The Loving Programmer that I had allowed error to affect my operating system, I didn’t hide anything about the bad thing I did. I said, “I confess my faults to The Loving Programmer”, and He erased the guilt of what I had done wrong.
R.
Be glad that your program works with The Loving Programmer, exult you who strive to do His Will.
R,
Second Reading 1 Cor 10:31-11-1
Fellow downloaders of The Program, when you eat or drink or do anything, do it for The Loving Programmer’s glory. Don’t give offense to your neighbors, (even if they are?) Jews or Greeks or to His Church. You should do as I do, trying to please everyone in every way, not seeking my benefit, but of all those who may be saved. You should imitate me as I imitate The Program, Jesus Christ, Who took perfect, obedient, human form to be with us and lead us to be with Him forever.
Gospel: Mark, 1:40-45
A person with an error/virus in his human program (in this case, leprosy) recognized Jesus’s power, knelt before Him, and said, “If You want, You can erase this error and restore my program.”
Jesus felt sorry for the human program, who’d recognized his problem and had turned to the only power on earth Who could help.
He said to him, “I will remove the error/virus. I restore your program.” The leprosy virus was exorcised, and the man’s program was restored. Jesus sternly told him to leave, and not to tell anyone what had happened.
Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone anything about this. Just go to the priest, like The First Operating Instructions command. Offer for your purification what Moses ordered. That will be proof for them (who don’t believe?.”
The restored human program went away, and told everyone he could what had happened. He told so many people that Jesus could no longer enter a town publicly. He stayed outside, where there were no people, still, they kept coming to Him from everywhere. (Was the man actually obeying God’s Will by disobeying the instruction to keep quiet?)
