Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 9, 2022 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
[2 Kgs 5:14-17; 2 Tim 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19]Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel." [2 Kings] 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?" [Luke]
Naaman was disappointed when Elisha told him to go and wash in the muddy Jordan stream. After all, there were bigger rivers in his own country and he was an important person. It took a Hebrew slave girl to convince him to put his faith in Elisha's word. When he did so, and followed instructions, he was healed. The important thing to note today is that he went back to Elisha to thank him and recognize God!! He didn't have to do that. He was healed. The "attitude of gratitude" was present.
The same thing happens in today's gospel scripture. A Samaritan leper, the most unlikely one of the ten, is the only one who returns to give thanks to God. He didn't have to. He, like the other nine, was healed. Again, there is an "attitude of gratitude!" Jesus' question: "Where are the other nine?" can be a haunting one.
As I advance into elderhood (I will be 80 next February), I have tried to be more conscious of the "attitude of gratitude." Each day becomes more and more a gift - each unencumbered breath! Each family member, each friend, each additional year of Dominican life (I began in 1964) and ordained service (since May 1971) is a gift. Each student here at Texas Tech who shares his or her life with me is a gift! Indeed, you, the Beloved Congregation, are a gift! It is a challenge to be grateful for such overwhelming blessings!
But, Jesus' question remains: "Where are the other nine?" Do any of us want to be in that group? AMEN