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Gospel: 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.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Suffering has a way of uniting us, of giving us the sense that, “We’re all in this together.”
Think about what’s happened in Florida.
Day after day, we hear stories of strangers helping strangers. Remnants of one person’s home tossed into a neighbor’s yard and vice versa, creating a shared sense of devastation and a common purpose – to rebuild their lives.
They need one another. They’re in it together.
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This is where we begin in today’s Gospel.
There are ten lepers united by their suffering. Nine are Jews and one is a Samaritan.
Jews and Samaritans hated each other, but the common misfortune of these untouchables broke down the religious and cultural barriers that once separated them.
They all have leprosy. They’re all outcasts. Instead of living in total isolation, they form a small community where they live as equals. Their bodies are deformed, they’re slowly dying, and society fears their touch, but they’re all in it together.
Today we might re-imagine this community of lepers to consist of nine Democrats and a Republican; nine Muslims and a Jew; nine Ukrainians and a Russian; or vice versa.
These are people who hold very different belief systems, but imagine the barriers that separate them being broken down by suffering.
They’re all in it together.
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We’re invited to embrace that type of spirituality, that feeling of being in this together. Although there may be things that divide us – culture, politics, or opinions – there’s something deeper that unites us.
Something – someone – these lepers also needed.
Jesus.
We’re all imperfect believers. We’re all in need of a Savior. We’re all in this together.
Our parish vision statement reminds us of this: “We are all generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”
Here we focus not on what divides us, but on what unites us – things great and small.
Our desire for community. Our need to pause from overpacked schedules. Our anticipation of a cookie or a cup of coffee from our café. Our hope of salvation. Our longing for Jesus.
We’re in this together.
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Eventually this community of ten lepers dissolves into one.
All of them are healed, but only one realizes who did it. “Ten were cleansed, were they not?” Jesus says. “Where are the other nine?”
Perhaps they thought their healing happened miraculously during their walk to Jerusalem. Maybe it was something they ate, or the fresh air that did it.
Maybe they knew it was an act of God but they got so caught up in the healing they received that they forgot to thank the Giver.
We should always be like that single leper, who recognizes the source of his blessing, and prostrates himself before Jesus in thanksgiving.
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Luke uses an interesting word to describe what happened to this man: he “returned.” Literally, he “turned around” to thank the Lord.
This motion of “turning around” is used symbolically throughout the Gospels to describe a person whose life is forever changed. Like the Prodigal Son, it implies someone has experienced an inner conversion, a change of heart.
This is what makes this leper’s healing complete; he’s not only healed physically; he also develops a relationship with God, which begins in praise.
As the Psalmist says, “Praise the Lord, my soul. With all my being, bless his holy name! Praise the Lord, my soul; never forget his blessings. Who pardons all your sins and heals all your ills.”
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Like this leper forever changed, what is one blessing I’ve received from God? And how do I praise him?
This community is one example for me. I thank the Lord daily, remembering you in my prayers.
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Although our community may have differences in terms of politics, culture, or opinions, here we go deeper, focusing on what unites us:
Our need for Jesus.
And our need for one another.
We’re in this together.
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Image credits: (1) Brandon Marshall @ St. Pius X (2) Shutterstock (3)