11-Nov-15

November 11, 2015

Gospel LK 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.”
Reflection:
"As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee."
Jesus spent his ministry preaching and healing as he walked from town to town.
"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!”
What do we know about lepers and how they had to live? From Leviticus 13:45-46, we learn, "As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!' He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp."
The men and women we see pushing shopping carts and dwelling "outside the camp," sleeping in doorways and under bridges, are the lepers of today. One of the most unbearable things about being poor and homeless is the feeling of being isolated from society.
And when he saw them, Jesus 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."
As a Christian, what do I do when I see a homeless person "a leper," on the street?
Do I "have pity" on them, or do I deliberately avoid them by turning the other way?
I cannot cure their homelessness, their "leprosy," but I can look them in the eye with love and respect and give them a little something to help them through their day.
I have never given to a homeless person who did not "return" the kindness by saying "thank you" or "God bless you."

"I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security."
Pope Francis