The Step in the Lord's Way

On one of his daily rides outside Assisi on the Umbrian plain, St. Francis suddenly stopped his horse. Near the path, a leper was begging for alms. St. Francis' first impulse was to turn and run because he found the leper so repulsive. A voice within him said, "What you used to hate shall be joy and sweetness." Heeding the voice, he jumped off his horse, went to the leper, kissed his wounds, gave him all he had, and left full of joy and happiness.

"The Lord granted me, Brother Francis, to begin to do penance in this way; that when I was in sin, it seemed to me very horrible to see lepers, and the Lord Himself led me among them, and I helped them. And when I left them, that which had before seemed to me horrible was transformed into sweetness of body and soul." ---From The Testament of St. Francis of Assisi, written in 1226, the year he died.

Meditation:

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. Suddenly, a leper came forward, and did him homage, saying to him, "Sir, if you will to do so, you can cure me." Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said, "I will do it. Be cured."
Immediately the man's leprosy disappeared.---Matthew 8:1