Date: Sunday, October 09, 2016
Awhile back I got lost and parishioners gave me a GPS device for my car. It helps me to find my way. But I confess I got lost again – in a mega Wegmans supermarket. I kept going back and forth trying to find my Cheerios, blueberries, milk and bananas. I was a bit overwhelmed and disorientated.
Jesus is not lost. He is determined to journey to Jerusalem. Along the way he is teaching his disciples that he will face opposition and the cross. He pauses for those who ask for help and for counsel -- even for 10 lepers who cry out: “Jesus Master have mercy on us.” Although the lepers are keeping their distance, Jesus “sees them.” He tells them to “go show yourselves to the priests.” The priests at the temple can affirm that a person afflicted is now clean and able to return to family and community. As they are going they discover that they are clean. One of the ten returns to Jesus falls before his feet glorifying God. He is a Samaritan, a foreigner. Jesus encourages him to “stand up and go -- your faith has saved you.” Something more than a physical healing has taken place. It is more than reintegration within the community. The Samaritan has experienced inner healing of the soul, i.e. the gift of God’s salvation.
The miracle on the way to Jerusalem suggests a pattern for us. We too should cry out together for God’s help like the lepers. Across the Caribbean and up the American coast people are beseeching God in the face of Hurricane Matthew. Cell phones are uniting people with common pleas and images of destruction. In the aftermath of the storm people can be united in rebuilding. Like the Samaritan, we can praise God with a gesture of homage. “Falling or kneeling down” expresses our littleness, our humility and dependence upon God. We too must be open for inner healing that touches our soul. Finally, we need to express our gratitude.
Lost in Wegmans I became aware of all the food. So many people in the world barely survive and we live in a land of bounty and abundance. And yet we often complain. An attitude of gratitude will greatly change our disposition and behavior. “If our only prayer is “thank you” then that will be sufficient.”