FGG-178 Who are the Lepers of Today?

There is an often told story of St. Francis of Assisi and an encounter with a leper. I’ve seen many different versions. The stories might be different but the life lesson is the same. So, who are the lepers of today? Who are the voiceless, ignored and forgotten among us? Who does society reject? And, more importantly, what should we as Christians do about it? In this podcast Tony discusses the Lepers of today.

Quotes: “The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body.” –St Francis of Assisi in his Testament

“Among all the awful miseries of this world Francis had a natural horror of lepers, and one day as he was riding his horse near Assisi he met a leper on the road. He felt terrified and revolted, but not wanting to transgress God’s command and break the sacrament of His word, he dismounted from his horse and ran to kiss him. As the leper stretched out his hand, expecting something, he received both money and a kiss. Francis immediately mounted his horse and although the field was wide open, without any obstructions, when he looked around he could not see the leper anywhere.” — Thomas of Selano wrote in his biography of Francis Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul

Reflections: Do you feel that the homeless, handicapped, unborn and incarcerated are the lepers of today? What can we do to recognize them as God’s children? Are you ever guilty of shunning these people?

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