Gospel Thought for Today
10th November: Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection:
He fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
“Gratitude is the heart’s memory”, a former colleague used to say. This is so true for the Samaritan who was healed of leprosy. Unlike his companions, he went back to Jesus to thank Him. One could just imagine how happy this person was when he was healed. His self-isolation over, he can now be reunited with his loved ones. He can go places without crying “Unclean!”. Full of joy, his heart did not forget the kindness that Jesus showed him. Jesus has showered all of us with mercy and love. St Leo the Great once said, “Being at once like unto us and equal with the Father, He (Jesus) lowered His divinity to the human state and lifted His humanity up to the divine. We rightly and piously rejoice in His arrangement because, although He has delegated the care of His sheep to many shepherds, He Himself has not relinquished custody of His beloved flock.”
- How long does your heart remember God’s goodness to you?
- How long does your heart remember your faults or the faults of others?
- In what ways do you show your gratitude to God and others?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Through the prayers and example of St Leo the Great, grant us grateful hearts that would always cherish and share the great things You have done for us. Amen.
