ALL FOR JESUS

“He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises. This man was a Samaritan.” –Luke 17:16

Earlier in His public ministry, Jesus healed a leper instantly by touching him (Lk 5:12-14). Then he told the healed leper to go show himself to the priest. The leper failed to do that. In today’s Gospel, instead of immediately healing the ten lepers, Jesus tells them to show themselves to the priests first. He does not immediately heal them. “On their way there they were cured” (Lk 17:14).

The priest, by declaring the lepers clean, integrated the lepers back into mainstream Jewish society (see Lv 13:9ff). However, the Samaritan leper would likely not be integrated back into Jewish society once he was declared clean. Samaritans and Jews often despised one another (see Lk 9:53-54; Jn 4:9; 8:48). In being healed, the Samaritan also would likely have lost his former support system of the other nine Jewish lepers. Yet despite this possible future of continued isolation, the Samaritan was so grateful to Jesus for healing him that he “came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises” (Lk 17:15-16).

If living in the Kingdom of God under the lordship of Jesus meant that you would be isolated, rejected, misunderstood, and even persecuted, could you rejoice at finding the pearl of great price, even if it cost you everything? (Mt 13:45-46) No matter what it costs, give your life to Jesus today. He is the Treasure worth everything you have (Mt 13:44).

PRAYER: Father, the word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” Fill me with such a desire to give thanks to You that I may desire to go to Mass more deeply than ever before.
PROMISE: “Those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy, and those learned in them will have ready a response.” –Wis 6:10
PRAISE: Pope St. Leo the Great taught on the greatness of the Divine Word both human and divine and thus propagated true wisdom.