“When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:1,2,3).
St. Francis of Assisi was too wealthy. He had a fear and abhorrence of lepers. One day, while riding his horse near Assisi, he met a man afflicted with leprosy. The sight of the leper filled him with horror and disgust; he was shocked and disturbed, but he got off the horse and kissed him. The leper put out his hand hoping to receive something. Out of compassion, Francis gave money to the leper.
But when Francis mounted his horse again and looked all around, he could not see the leper anywhere. He realised that it was Lord Jesus whom he had just kissed.
Francis could have neglected and passed away but he heard that still small voice that guided him to stop, reach out and embrace the man with leprosy.
That gesture of humbleness and obedience to the Lord’s voice transformed him to be a mighty saint of God. Lord Jesus Christ guided Saint Francis to minister even to the Muslim kings and to baptise them.
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” ( Hebrews 13:2).
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
God will humble us and test us to know what is in our heart. He who has pity and lends to the poor, lends to the LORD, and God will bless him multifold.
Help the poor and the needy. Pray for the sick. Visit the widows and the fatherless, bless them and be blessed forever.
FOLLOW JESUS.
The Truth 