“The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”
(Lv 13:1-2,44-46)

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.
(Mk 1:40-45)

How important touch is in the ministry of Jesus with lepers! Those who were condemned to live “outside the camp” are brought in by Jesus. Today is the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Perhaps we all should be thinking about how we will celebrate this Lent. I visited Caño Cristales in October 2019. The area had seen lots of violence. Many persons that I met had lost loved ones. But they were all committed to peace and to healing the environment. My Lenten reading will be Río Muerto (Dead River) by Ricardo Silva Romero, published in 2020. Today is also the feast of Saint Valentine, priest and martyr.