Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 10th November
Message from Fr Paul for Wednesday, 10th November 2021
Even today, when I’m pushing seventy-five, my mother, who is somewhat older, always reminds me, “Have you said thank you?” or “Have you written to say thank you?” By which she means a letter, not a card or, worse still, an email. One of the themes central to the four Gospels and to the Bible as a whole is gratitude and thanksgiving, indeed the very word Eucharist means thanksgiving. We give thanks to God for the Incarnation of his Son Jesus Christ and for his Sacrifice on Calvary for our forgiveness, salvation and redemption. We give thanks to God for the gift of life in all its fulness and for the gift of Creation. Today’s Gospel passage from Luke, (Lk 17: 11-19), speaks eloquently of gratitude, as well as highlighting the fact that often it comes from unexpected people and places.
“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them, he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away, they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’”
What a beautiful episode this is from the life of Jesus, and yet again a Samaritan is singled out for recognition and praise on the part of Jesus. It’s a very simple story, a living parable: ten lepers are healed, yet only one returns to thank Jesus for what he has done for them. They came towards him, crying out for mercy, recognising him to be the Master, the Teacher of Israel. Jesus does no more than to tell them to show themselves to the priests, meaning that they would be healed. It’s in the act of obedience to the word of Jesus that they are healed. We can make excuses for the nine who did not return to give thanks, beginning with the very excitement of being cured. However, it is a Samaritan, a foreigner and a heretic, who returns rejoicing and throws himself at the feet of Jesus and thanks him. There are many lessons to learn from this miracle of Jesus, the first being to reject no one for whatever reason. They will surprise and prove us wrong.
