“Where Are the Other Nine?”

This Sunday's Gospel reading is one that is often used as a reading for Thanksgiving. It is the story of ten lepers who are healed but only one, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus for his healing. When Jesus sees him, he says, "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."

This story shows us a sad reality about our human nature and about our relationship to God. How often do we beg God for things and then forget that we did so. Perhaps when we were younger we asked God to "give us a comfortable life" or to "help us have a healthy family." And then later, when these realities came to pass, we instead think "look how good I am, that I amassed so much wealth" or "look how good I am, taking care of such a wonderful family." 

And yet, all we have is a gift from God! The very fact that we have talents and gifts and a work ethic to gain what we have is from God himself! Our health and wellbeing, our ability to see and hear and walk is all a gift from God, one that many others do not have!

So, as we go about our week, perhaps we can take a moment to stop and be like the Samaritan. God is the giver of all that is good! God is the one in whom we "live and move and have our being." (from Preface VI from the Roman Missal) May our hearts this week be given the grace to see just how much we are blessed. And may that inspire us to express our gratitude to God more frequently, and from there to love and serve God and our neighbor all the more.

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.

Written by: Fr. Craig Irwin, OSFS - Associate Pastor