Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 32nd week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17, 11-19 - Give thanks in all circumstances: this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Dear Christians! The fact that Luke tells us in this Gospel is that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. This is his last journey to Jerusalem to fulfil his word: "It is not fitting that a prophet should perish outside Jerusalem" (Lk 13, 33). Given the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans, He could not cross the city of Samaria on his way to Jerusalem but had to make a diversion. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, getting closer to his passion and death: this means that the way of the cross has already begun.
The lepers, placed outside the city because they were not allowed to stay with the people because they were considered unclean according to the law of Moses (Leviticus 13, 45), were crying out and begging for mercy. They felt poor because of this discrimination. We too raise this cry during Mass: "Lord, have mercy on us". Let us not hesitate and not be ashamed to implore God's mercy as these lepers did because He is merciful, He is the Father of mercy. In the Bible, leprosy is a sign of sin, a sign of evil that changes and destroys the right of man. Jesus' words about them are also defined in the law (Leviticus 14, 2): "This is the law concerning the leper at the time of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest..." This is a good example of Jesus' respect for authorities and priests.
The Gospel also says that ten were healed but only one came back to glorify God and thank Jesus for healing him. This person is a Samaritan. This is the faith: there is no racial, social or ethnic discrimination, we are all co-heirs of God when we live our faith. One of the great responsibilities of the Christian faithful is to praise and thank God, every day at bedtime, for his benevolence throughout the day; or weekly in the observance of Sunday. Jesus even commands us to give thanks in a special way on certain occasions. So let us always be grateful to God for all the grace He gives in abundance.
