Before today, I had not considered that the leper in today's Gospel who sought to be cleansed by Jesus might represent more than just a person who was looking for physical healing. It was discussed in today's homily, and supported by the Psalm, that this scene represents the need for confession--the commonly used term for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As leprosy was considered at the time to be a sign of sinfulness, today's Gospel was a way to remind us that we need to be ready to bare our sins to Jesus. By acknowledging them, and asking for them to be cleansed, we are taking an important step in healing ourselves and those affected by our actions.
I'm not the best about celebrating Reconciliation, usually going only about once a year. I dread the experience, making it easy to put it off due to scheduling issues. However, I almost always feel better after attending, almost as though an actual weight has been lifted. There's something liberating in the experience.