The Leprosy of Poison Ivy

Last summer I had poison ivy.

I got it removing poison ivy from a fence. I did not take sufficient precautions.

Rashes invaded my torso, arms, thighs, and calves. I received three prescriptions for it.

My lesions were so prominent, my mother feared they’d leave scars.

The itching was insatiable.

For a while I was paranoid; I thought I saw poison ivy growing everywhere I went!

There was a barrier, imagined or real, between me and others.

Even if someone did not see my poison ivy rashes, they were definitely there.

I was gross.

I hugged a friend, then regretted it. I called him later to encourage him to wash his shirt.

This was my closest experience to anything remotely resembling leprosy.

Father Chris Alar, MIC, explained in his June 26, 2026, homily that Jesus’ healing of the leper (Matthew 8:1-4) prefigured the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Sin can swallow us like leprosy. Whether we see it or not.

How disgusted would we be if we could "see" the states of our souls at times? 

Thankfully, our Lord reaches for the shamefully unclean, like a father reaching for his child hiding beneath a blanket. 

My poison ivy rashes eventually went away. My mother was relieved they left no scars.

I bet the former leper in Matthew 8 was left with no scars either. 

Work Cited

Alar, Chris. "Mass for Divine Mercy Shrine." National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. YouTube video. June 26, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/live/wpv9gDktexQ.https://www.youtube.com/live/wpv9gDktexQ?si=Oor5tb2Oz14kxKDk