First Reading (Lev 13:1-2, 45-46). Lepers were considered ritually unclean and were compelled to live apart from the community.
Second Reading (1 Cor 10:31-11:1). St Paul urges us never to do anything offensive to anyone but to do everything for the glory of God.
Gospel (Mk 1:40-45). This tells of the cure of a leper by Jesus. In biblical times people did not touch lepers for fear of catching the disease. Yet Jesus reached out and touched lepers. He still reaches out to us.
Lepers were treated as complete outsiders, socially and religiously. Jesus broke through all the religious and social taboos and reached out a loving and healing hand to the leper. In this way we see how a Christian community should deal with sinners and people society rejects.