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 voice, 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.
***
***
“Where are the other nine?”
No other story better illustrates human ingratitude than the Gospel today.
Jesus heals ten lepers at no cost to them, yet only one returns to thank him. The other nine move on with their lives.
All the Lord wanted was a word of thanks.
***
How often do we show our gratitude for others?
***
Consider the elderly.
For at least the first decade of our lives, we were totally dependent upon our parents and grandparents for food, shelter, clothing, security, and above all, for love. How do we thank them? And how might we support them as they age?
Or our veterans.
As the saying goes, “All gave some. Some gave all.” On the eve of Veteran’s Day, how might we thank those who willingly sacrificed so much for us?
Or consider any other person in our lives – our spouse, our children, our co-workers, a teacher, a doctor, a benefactor, a friend.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.”
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
That’s an incredible statement. Mulberry trees are tall and thick with deep roots.
How can something so small uproot something so large?
***
Faith derives its power from God.
Through Jesus, we can uproot any “tree” in our lives – anything that is deeply rooted and bothersome – not by our own strength, but by his.
What are the “trees” in my life? What feels difficult to overcome?
It may be a grudge that’s captured our heart; a deeply rooted addiction; a thought or feeling that doesn’t go away.
***
By the power of God, that tree can be uprooted and cast into the sea.
But first we must believe.
So, we cry out with the Apostles, “Lord, increase our faith.”
In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
Years ago, I remember hearing a story about a mother who struggled to convince her young son to go to Mass.
So, she devised a plan: she would give her son two quarters – one for God, and one for him. (This was back when a quarter was still worth something!)
“Take this quarter,” she said, “and put it in the collection at church. Then you can use the other one however you want.”
“Deal!” the young boy said.
As he was running off to church, he tripped over his shoelaces, causing the two quarters to fly out of his hand. One he caught. But the other rolled into the sewer beside him.
Sighing, he looked up into the sky and said, “Sorry, God, that one was yours.”
***
In today’s Gospel, a widow empties her pockets, giving not one – but both – of her coins to God. It was, in Jesus’ words, “All she had. Her whole livelihood.”
She had no pension, no Social Security, no 401K to rely upon. All she had, she gave away.
Where will her next meal come from? Where will she go from there?
We have no idea.
That type of trust in God’s Providence is something only the Saints seem to have.
This widow makes me wonder, “How would my own life change if I could trust the Lord that much? Or even just a little more?”
***
The risk of encountering someone so devoted to God is that we can feel like she’s somehow different from us; as if she’s an inspiring example, but not someone we could emulate either in her poverty or her generosity.
But the truth is, we’re all poor like that widow.
Although none of us is as materially poor as she was, we’re all poor in another way. There’s one thing none of us seems to have enough of.
***
We’re all limited by time.
***
Time is our most prized possession, yet we cannot add another day to our lives.
Unlike money, which you can always make more of, time is finite – and we all know it goes too fast.
For example, I’ve never met a couple in love who’ve said, “I wish the clock would tick faster!”
Or a child say, “I wish my dad would work more.”
Or any person say, “I’m having the best day of my life! I can’t wait until it’s over!”
Time is precious. Life is precious.
Perhaps that’s why our time is the hardest thing to give to God.
But scripture is clear on this: God is never outdone in generosity. Whatever time we give to God, he fills with his grace.
***
How much time do I spend with the Lord? And like the widow in today’s Gospel, can I offer the Lord a little more – in prayer, spiritual reading, or charity?
***
Allow me to share a few ways I hope we can all share our time together – and our time with the Lord.
I dream of our young people thriving in our youth groups, singing in our choir, and using our parish as a place to bond.
I used to dream of our adult choir expanding its mission, from not only singing during Sunday Mass, but also offering seasonal concerts, or singing at funerals. But yesterday, I celebrated a funeral and six people from our choir showed up to sing!
I used to dream of our parishioners bringing homemade food to the sick and homebound. But I was told that someone already started doing so this week.
I dream of a full church gathering for Eucharistic Adoration.
I dream of St. Pius X being a place where people want to offer their time because there’s no place they’d rather be on a Sunday – or any other day of the week.
I dream of every person leaving this place saying, “That was time well spent.”
Maybe we already do.
***
“Sorry, God, that one was yours.”
Unlike the little boy who selfishly tried keeping what little had – even though it wasn’t his – may we be like the widow, who gives everything back to God.
“Her reward will be great in heaven,” Jesus says, because God is never outdone in generosity.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Balanced Living Body and Spirit (2) Howard Lyon (3) Two Coins, Jessie Trim
