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Vocation Meditation -
October 10, 2010
Used with permission from ChristianComputerArt.Com
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered the village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
When Jesus saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."
Gratitude most often, comes along as a rarity. Most of all, gratitude to God.
The lepers lived in isolation. Their sickness was a misfortune. They were shut off from society. The people turned away from them to avoid their ghastly sight and for fear of contracting the disease. They always stood at a distance even when expressing their need for food and care.
Before Jesus, they too, stood at a distance. However, this did not stop them from expressing their need and longing for God, for His mercy and for His healing. Jesus took pity on them. He healed them while on their way to carry out His command to show themselves to the priest. The priests authenticated their cure and sent them back to their families and communities. On the record, they are considered healed! No longer are they outcasts but citizens worthy of normal lives. Realizing their cure, they welcomed this exhilarating and joyful reality and were totally filled by it.
Such was the emotion of the 10 lepers made clean. They were overjoyed. They forgot the Healer except one. The Samaritan turned back looking for the Master and Healer. He came back to give praise to God, the source of all blessings. He came back to give thanks!
In a world where gratitude is a rarity, let thanksgiving be our constant offering to God.
Vocation Meditation:
"Where not ten made clean? Where are the other nine?"
When blessings come pouring onto my lap, do I keep God at a distance?
Dear God,
Blessings abound around me. They come in small packages and big ones, too. The air I breathe, the sun in my face, the rain that falls, the friends that walk with me, my loved ones that stand by me are signs of Your goodness and mercy for this dear child that I am! Most often, I am unaware of Your presence and your blessings in the ordinary flow of my life. If I am not even attentive to these soft stirrings and gifts of Your love for me, how can I be attentive to your call urging me to follow You? Today, I commit myself to follow you with a grateful heart!
For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.