Today's readings tell of Jesus' encounter with a leper. The leper asks Jesus to be made clean. Jesus does will it.. and the leper is healed. Jesus tells him to go to the priest and to make an offering as Moses prescribed it, but then to keep the story to himself. Of course, people heard what had happened and wanted to know more. They sought Jesus out, but Jesus had retreated to a quiet place to pray. I'm struck in this moment by the necessity for Jesus to go back to the Father after he'd been the vehicle for the leper's healing. How exhausted he must have been, being a human vessel, being constantly compelled to bring healing to all those who sought it. Eventually, he was led to the cross... I have given it all, my life, and now, you can know the love of the Father forever. Remember me, He and the cross say. I have given it up for YOU. The leper was one of us along Jesus' way. The leper had an inkling and the kind of desperate hope that this man, Jesus had the power to heal even leprosy. Jesus, in his compassion could not refuse him. He would not refuse us either. This picture is of a little church, now a community center, in Pt. Reyes Station. I wonder if there's a cross around.