WEDNESDAY HOMILY FOR 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR A

WEDNESDAY HOMILY FOR 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

THEME: GRATITUDE

By: Fr. Karabari Paul

‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?’

Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing. We are not exactly sure what leprosy was. While it may have described what is known today as “Hansen’s Disease” (pigiri in Khana language), the word probably included other skin diseases as well. “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45-46).

The above quote gives us an idea of the stigmatization that lepers endured. Leprosy made a person ritually unclean. To touch a leper defiled a Jew almost as much as touching a dead person. Later Jewish practice prescribed that while lepers might attend synagogue, they must be the first to enter and last to leave, and must stay in a special compartment to isolate them from the other worshippers.

In the Gospel (Luke 17:11-19), Jesus met a group of ten lepers. It was not uncommon for lepers to group together. They could not have social contact with the “clean” members of society, so they had to form their own society of the “unclean,” the “untouchables.”

And seeing Jesus, the lepers seized the moment. ‘They lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”’ Desperate people pray desperate prayers. Who cares about propriety and outward appearances when you are dying? These men realised that Jesus was ‘passing through’, and the worst thing that could happen was for Him to pass them by. So they seized the moment and cried out to Him. And you can do that too, because nobody can hear you like God (see Psalm 118:5).

The healing was not immediate; it was a step-by-step process. ‘And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed’ (Luke 17:14). Often that is the way it works. And it is not just one step, but a commitment to plough through the obstacles and fears until you get to your miracle. But it is worth the effort, and you appreciate your deliverance more when you have to walk it out day by day depending on God.

Only one out of the ten returned to give thanks. It is exactly the percentage of grateful humanity. We know how to ask but not how to say thank you. We rather gather friends for a party than remember it was the handiwork of God afterall. That is why Jesus asked, ‘Where are the nine?’ Were they too busy? Or too self-absorbed? Or just forgetful? Some of the things we enjoy today were objects of intense prayers yesterday. We may have forgotten.

Notice what Jesus said to the one who came back: ‘Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.’ Physical healing is often accomplished through medicine, but you become ‘whole’ in body, mind, and soul by spending time worshipping the Lord and getting to know Him. Gratitude opens more doors of blessing. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world and land, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning.

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