Category: Uncategorized

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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 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.

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“Where are the other nine?”

What makes today’s Gospel so striking is the fact that the poor are the one’s causing the scandal. Normally it’s the religious elite, tax collectors, prostitutes, or generic sinners who offend Jesus.

But today it’s a group of outcasts, lepers who have spent their entire lives being judged by others, fearfully forced into isolation.

Out of compassion, the Lord does for them what they cannot do for themselves – he heals them. In a sense, he gives them new life. Now they can integrate into society, perhaps finding love and friendship for the first time since their youth.

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These former lepers, now healed, have nothing to offer the Lord but a grateful heart. It’s all Jesus ever wants.

But shockingly, only one out of ten returns to thank him.

This does not mean that the other nine were bad people. Perhaps they were in a state of joyful shock, overwhelmed by their miraculous healing. 

But they became too focused on themselves – on the gift they received – instead of the Giver, who had even more to offer them.

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This is really the story of humanity. We all benefit from the Lord’s goodness. But how often do we return to thank him?

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The Lord offered all of us new life – eternal life – when he washed away our sins in baptism. He continues to wash away our sins every time we approach him. He feeds us with his very Self in the Eucharist.

He strengthens us in time of trial and temptation. He guides our steps, listens to our prayers, fills our hearts with peace. He makes the sun rise daily and fills our land with plenty.

As the Psalmist says, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures forever.”

Like that single leper who returned to acknowledge Jesus, how might we thank him for all the good he’s done today?

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Image credits: (1) indycrowe (2) Summer Setting, WordPress.com (3) Waverly Church of Christ

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Gospel: Luke 17: 7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On his deathbed, Saint Francis of Assisi said to the first Franciscans, “My brothers, I have done what is mine to do. Now you must do what is yours to do.”

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Francis viewed himself like the unprofitable servant in today’s Gospel. 

He didn’t need worldly accolades or praise for all he accomplished. While he rebuilt the Church spiritually, and his example still inspires people eight centuries later, Francis simply did, “What was his to do.”

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Jesus sees his Apostles similarly, calling them “unprofitable servants.” They have been chosen by the Lord to work, building the kingdom of God in four particular ways.

Using Gospel imagery, Jesus commands his Apostles to:

Plow the fields – spread the Word of God wherever they go, planting seeds of faith.

Tend God’s sheep – keep a shepherd’s heart, seeking out the lost.

Wait on others – see themselves like those who have not come to be served, but to serve.

Eat and drink – celebrate the Eucharist, feeding the first Christians with the Body and Blood of Christ.

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Which of these four things is the Lord calling us to do?

Plow the fields, spreading God’s Word – at home, at work, in the community.

Tend God’s sheep – seeking out the lost, caring for their souls spiritually.

Wait on others, be their servant.

“Eat and drink.” Invite people to, “Come and see.”

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“I have done what is mine to do,” Saint Francis said 800 years ago. “Now you must do what is yours to do.”

What is mine to do today?

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Image credits: (1) Fine Art America (2) iFunny Brazil (3) Holley Gerth

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Luke 17: 1-6

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.

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In April 2020, a ninety-nine-year-old British World War Two veteran, Captain Tom Moore, wanted to raise money to support people who became ill with COVID.

He promised to walk one-hundred laps around his garden with his walker before his 100^th birthday, only a few weeks away.

His goal was to raise one-thousand British pounds, roughly $1,200.

Then his story went viral. What started as a humble effort to help a neighbor exploded into a global obsession.

Captain Tom captivated the hearts of 1.5 million people, raising over $40 million!

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Captain Tom’s story reminds us that God works in mysterious ways, often using simple ideas and ordinary people to change the world.

A mustard seed, as Jesus says in the Gospel, is the smallest of seeds. But when sown into the ground, it becomes the largest of plants.

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Consider another “mustard seed” story: Mother Teresa. 

In 1950, she started a small religious order in India, whose mission was, in her words, “To care for the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society.”

Who would be interested in leaving a comfortable existence behind to follow her?

Today there are over 5,000 Missionaries of Charity serving in 139 countries with 760 homes for the homeless, the sick, and the dying.

Volunteers from our own parish prepare food every Monday morning in our soup kitchen and hand deliver it to the Missionaries of Charity in Newark, where they feed the hungry.

The world’s attention – our attention – turned to the poorest of the poor.

And all started with a single mustard seed 70 years ago.

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The same is true for the Church. 

Jesus started with twelve Apostles. They were ordinary men; uneducated; tax collectors; fishermen; sinners. One of them, Judas, even betrayed Jesus, abandoning him and the others.

Mysteriously, the Church has grown since then by one-million percent! Nearly 1 in 6 people – 1.2 billion on earth – identify as Catholic.

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A 99-year-old man with a walker fundraises $40 million.

A nun from nowhere propels poverty onto the world stage.

A Church with one billion followers starts with twelve.

The power of a mustard seed.

Now imagine what God can do through you.

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Image credits: (1) Hutto Bible Church (2) ABC (3) Desert Streams Ministries