Gospel Reflection for The 15th day of January in the year of Our Lord, 2026

Mark 1:40-45

40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down said to him: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

41 And Jesus having compassion on him, stretched forth his hand; and touching him, saith to him: I will. Be thou made clean. 42 And when he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. 43 And he strictly charged him, and forthwith sent him away. 44 And he saith to him: See thou tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the high priest, and offer for thy cleansing the things that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 45 But he being gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the word: so that he could not openly go into the city, but was without in desert places: and they flocked to him from all sides.

Today’s Gospel contains one of the most powerful prayers in the Bible and one that I try to say every day, although using more modern and comfortable language for me, “Lord, if you wish you can make me clean.” The Bible teaches us that nothing impure or unclean can enter Heaven. When we are Baptized, the stains of both original sin and the actual sins we have committed up to that point are removed. But who among us can “keep our baptismal robe” clean? We all commit venial sins daily and no matter how hard we try, we also commit mortal sins.

Knowing this, our Lord gave us also the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we confess our sins, with contrition, to a Catholic priest, He may absolve us of our sins and give us appropriate penance. Jesus gave this power to His priests when He said to His Holy Apostles, “Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven. Those whose sins you retained, they are retained.” While a human and flawed man is the priest who hears our confession, it is Jesus who forgives our sins through His priest.

But what of those venial sins of which we have forgotten or are unaware? We are cleansed of these in two ways. The first is through contrite prayer. Every evening we should make a thorough examination of conscience, and pray for forgiveness. But, few of us are so self aware as to realize every error. When we approach the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist in a spirit of contrition, acknowledging that we are sinful and unworthy, the Body and Blood of Christ that we consume cleanses us of venial sins. If we approach the Eucharist unworthily, with the known guilt of mortal sin on our conscience, we commit a far greater sin.

In each instance, through Baptism, Reconciliation, contrite prayer and the Eucharist, it is Jesus who makes us clean. By saying this simple prayer each morning, we are reminded of our proper disposition, which is contrition and humility. We are also reminded of our relationship to God, who alone can forgive our sins and make us clean.

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Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings January - June, 2026 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDK16N45

and

Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK

His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic