Jesus cleanses a leper

"Now there was a man full of leprosy* in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean. ”And the leprosy left him immediately."  (Luke 5: 12 - 13)

In the Bible and Christian tradition, mortal sin is seen as leprosy of the soul.  While leprosy is an external and horrible disease, mortal sin reproduces similar effects on the soul but is invisible to human eyes.  The leper horribly disfigured by his disease is rejected by society. On his part, he  tends to hide himself for shame of his condition.  The person that goes about with a leprous soul may mingle in society and shows no outward sign of his interior disposition. But he enjoys no peace and is tormented by a relentlessly fighting conscience.

Jesus Christ says to the leper in the above scripture, “I do will it. Be made clean.”  He then stretched out His hand, touched the man and he was healed instantly.  In His public ministry, Jesus Christ has taught by word and example that the life of a soul is more important than flesh and blood.  God in His mercy continues to use medical science to heal our  bodies.  But for  our souls, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession/Penance to heal the soul burdened and leprous with mortal sin.

When the penitent hears this words after his Confession, "I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," It is Christ Himself who speaks in the person of the priest.  The effect is the same as we see in Luke 5: 12 -13: ”And the leprosy left him immediately."  (Luke 5: 12 - 13)  This is the effect of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, one of the seven Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ and bequeathed to His Church by which He continues the work of salvation on earth.  Through the power of Christ operating through the words of the priest in the Sacrament of Confession, souls are cleansed instantly and freed from the leprous pollution.  Angels and saints rejoice in heaven.  The Church welcomes back the sinner with sincere embrace and the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are magnified.