Word to the Wise
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - Wednesday in the 32th Week in Ordinary Time
[Wis 6:1-11 and Luke 17:11-19]As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "God show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." [Luke]
NOVEMBER 10 ST. LEO THE GREAT, pope and doctor of the church
This gospel scripture is often heard on Thanksgiving Day, and indeed, gratitude is an obvious theme, But there is a more profound dimension. It is the faith of the Samaritan, not the curing of his illness, that saves him. He realizes that God is at work in Jesus. Like the "good Samaritan" earlier in this gospel [Luke 10:29-37], he transcends the ancient animosity between Jew and Samaritan to return to Jesus to give thanks to God. It is this acknowledgment in faith that "saves" him. The other nine benefit from the healing but it is the Samaritan who is saved.
It is easy to take our faith for granted or, on the other hand, to insist on a miracle in order to believe. In the first instance, we fail to "count our blessings" each day and focus on one or two things that worry us, or else make our faith just one of many elements in our daily life. In the second instance, we dare God to do something for us. All of the lepers would benefit socially and psychologically from the healing, but the Samaritan, the least expected one, would benefit even more. He discovered the kingdom of God in Jesus. Can we discover the kingdom in minor events as well as major? AMEN