Gospel Reflection for Sunday Oct. 9th

The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Thanks be to God

Have you been ever treated so badly that you tell yourself you feel like a leper? The first reading and the gospel this Sunday both contain lepers. At the time of Jesus anyone who was sick, especially lepers where badly treated and seen as sinners. Because of their illness and condition they were despised, hated and ignored. They were exiles from their family, their village, the synagogue and society. They were alone and isolated.

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus meets ten lepers, who we are told stood some way off and called to him. They even isolate and separate themselves from others. Their prayer is heartfelt and sincere, ‘Jesus, Master! Take pity on us.’ For Jesus, there are no exiles or outcasts, so he heals all ten lepers. Now healed, they can return home to their families and take their place in the community once again. However, on seeing they are healed of their leprosy, only one returns to offer his thanks to Jesus.

Like Naaman in the first reading who is a Syrian, this leper is also an outsider at a religious level, he is not a Jew, he is a Samaritan. Yet both of these lepers once healed show their faith and thankfulness and wish only to praise and honour God.

Often through our prayer we are either asking God for something we are desperately looking for or saying sorry for something we have said or done. These prayers need to include prayers of thanks and gratitude too. We have so much to be thankful for; our families, our friends, and all the other good things we use and enjoy in life that we may take for granted. When was the last time you said a deep and sincere ‘thank you’ to God for the many blessings in your life?

The word ‘Eucharist’ simply means thanks. Whenever we gather together to celebrate Eucharistic, we are doing what both Naaman and the Samaritan leper did: we are simply saying thank you for all that God has done for us, is doing for us and will do for us. This week, take a moment to pause and consider all the wonderful things in your life that you are grateful for. As the Dominican Meisiter Eckhart wrote, ‘if the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.’

•  Michael Moore OMI