Scripture:
Reflection:
We continue today with the gospel of St. Luke in the section referred to as Jesus’ “Journey to Jerusalem.” This is an important narrative, featuring several stories found only in Luke, today’s gospel is one example. The Cleansing of the Ten Lepers is a familiar tale, and reading these verses, I find that my tendency to elevate and praise the one who returned glorifying God and to think of the other nine as ungrateful has often been my default reaction.
Taking a closer look at the text, “And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned . . . (V.15), might suggest that the others had yet to realize their healing. How can we be sure that they may not have come back? We do know that the one who returned was a Samaritan—a foreigner. A motif of Luke’s gospel is that faith and salvation are not limited to the Jewish people but are universal and available to all.
Regardless of the circumstances, we are presented with a story that honors the virtue of gratitude. Realizing that he is healed, the Samaritan moves directly to glorify the healing God—in Jesus. Actions that bring about his salvation, as Jesus states, “. . . your faith has saved you.” V.19b.
Over the years, I have wondered how anyone could not return to say thank you for being healed of such a horrendous disease. I can fool myself into thinking that in the same circumstances, I would come back glorifying God in a loud voice! Amen, and so would you—right! We would shout it from the rooftops to imagine the liberation, the freedom to be back with our loved ones and walk the roads confidently, no longer having to yell “unclean” ever again! Fortunately, I won’t be put to that test.
Thanks to medicine, healing from leprosy is no longer necessary as in ancient times. Yet, seen or unseen, we all have some type of leprosy that needs God’s healing touch. Certainly, modern-day leprosy can take many forms. Those things in life that take us in the wrong direction and away from where we truly desire to go are very defeating. Being quick to judge can be one of mine—one among many. That seems to be our human condition, yet one we can continue to work on in our day-to-day living as we become more aware.
In St. Paul’s letter to Titus from our first reading, he suggests a pastoral approach to dealing with our various leprosies. Titus is to remind his community to “be open to every good enterprise” remembering “to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness towards everyone.” (Vs.1-2) However, Paul is careful to point out that “we ourselves were once that foolish. . . deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures.” (v.3)
For Paul, the difference is God’s merciful and generous love in Jesus, our savior, who freely offers unmerited grace and the opportunity to inherit eternal life—regardless of our leprosies.
Therefore, let us be patient with ourselves and each other as we journey in faith, reflecting on how God has blessed us. Let gratitude be our aim in this season of Thanksgiving and every season. Amen.
Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.