A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (# 46)
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 10, 2004
“The Grateful Samaritan”
BIBLE READINGS
2 Kgs 5:14-17 // 2 Tim 2:8-13 // Lk 17:11-19
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
This Sunday’s Gospel story of the healing of the Ten Lepers (Lk 17:11-19) acquires deeper meaning when seen against the sinful reality of human ingratitude that warps our filial relationship with God. In his book, Ode to Joy (New York: Alba House, 1997, p. 237), Harold Buetow observes that too often we’re like the doting grandmother who was walking with her young grandson along the shore in Miami Beach when a huge wave appeared out of nowhere, sweeping the child out to sea. The horrified woman fell to her knees, raised her eyes to heaven, and begged the Lord to return her beloved grandson. And, lo, another wave reared up and deposited the stunned child on the sand right in front of her. The grandmother looked the boy over carefully. He was fine. But then she stared up angrily toward the heavens. “When he came,” she snapped indignantly, “He had a hat!” Like the ingrate grandmother, we presume that God is the service-giver and that he owes it to us. We therefore fail to acknowledge our debt of gratitude to God.
The Gospel account of the healing of the Ten Lepers presents us not only with another compassionate act of Jesus’ act of healing, but also an example of a faith that leads to gratitude, glory and praise. The remarkable attitude of the grateful Samaritan illustrates the intimate connection between faith and “eucharist”. Faith is expressed in an act of thanksgiving and worship.
The evangelist Luke describes the healing miracle of Jesus in these words: “As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, the lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, 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 healed” (Lk 17:11-14). The misery of the lepers and their invocation for help are to be seen in the light of the regulation for lepers found in the book of Leviticus: “A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shave his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean, unclean’” (Lev 13:45-46).
The Old Testament cry of despair, “Unclean, unclean” was transformed into a prayer of invocation in the presence of Jesus who was continuing his paschal journey to Jerusalem. Instead of warning, “Unclean, unclean” in order to isolate their wretched selves from Jesus, the ten lepers boldly appealed to him for mercy and compassion. They shouted a radically new prayer invocation: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” Jesus Master responded compassionately to their poignant cry and ordered them to show themselves to the priests.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 6 comment: “Jesus’ response is brief: Go show yourselves to the priests. This is sufficient for the ten, who took the road immediately to make the journey, making a new way of expressing their faith. Unlike Naaman, they show no disappointment at not seeing Jesus lay his hands on them to heal them directly. They rely simply and purely on his word. Why would he tell them to show themselves to the priests unless their healing would be verified? Therefore it must already be given, even if they do not see it yet. And indeed, “as they were going they were cleansed”. One thought cannot help but come to mind: it is in doing what Jesus commands that one obtains one’s request.” Indeed, the instantaneous healing of the ten lepers was brought about by their personal, active response to Jesus’ word.
The next part of this Sunday’s Gospel story depicts the return of the grateful Samaritan who was healed of his infirmity (Lk 17:15-19). The biblical scholar, Jerome Kodell remarks: “Only one of the group returns to express gratitude. He attributes the healing to God, openly singing his praises. The ingratitude of the others is a jarring note, but possibly the fact that the one grateful returnee was a Samaritan was more shocking at the time (vv. 16, 18). Jesus’ final words to him are the message he gave to the woman cured of the hemorrhage (8:48). The faith of all the lepers led to their physical healing; perhaps it was more than this for others as well, but for the Samaritan at least, the healing brought salvation, through wholeness and a proper relationship to God.”
The fullness of human wholeness and salvation is found in Jesus Master, the font of compassion and healing. The return of the grateful Samaritan marked a new life of faith and worship centered in the person of Jesus, the true object of praise and thanksgiving, the compassionate healer and savior of both Jews and non-Jews alike. The faith of the healed leper was eventually transformed into a spirit of thanksgiving or “eucharist”. Indeed, the true temple where we carry out our vows of thanksgiving to God is the person of Jesus. He is also the true priest who actuates and confirms our healing.
G. Casalis concludes: “In him alone, this stranger, the only one to return to give thanks to God, is all the hope of Israel, the continuity of the work of reconciliation of the world, and the invitation – for whoever has eyes and ears to see and hear it – to recognize the presence and the power of Christ in the world. Such is the originality of the New Testament: the Old invites the Gentiles to gaze on Israel, the New invites all pious people to see and hear in the world the truth of the journeying Christ.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. What are the occasions in our life when we pray most intensely, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” (Lk 17:12)?
B. In what way are we the grateful, healed Samaritan leper? In what way are we the healed lepers who did not return to Jesus?
C. Do we allow ourselves to be heartened by the following declaration of Jesus: “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you” (Lk 17:19)?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: We cry out to you, Jesus,
the font of compassion.
Have pity on us and take away all our infirmities.
Restore us to health
and cure us of the leprosy of sin.
We thank you and love you
for your all-powerful healing word
touches us to the depths of our soul.
In you is true wholeness.
You enfold us with your tender mercy
and fill us with the grace of thanksgiving.
May we fully respond
to your compassionate acts of mercy
and marvelous saving deeds.
By being instruments of your healing love in today’s world,
may the triune God be glorified,
now and forever
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” (Lk 17:19).
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray for all the marginalized and distressed people in today’s world who are suffering from the torment of illness and the anguish of moral-spiritual isolation.
B. ACTION PLAN: Offer special aid to people suffering from leprosy and those who seek to alleviate their pain and misery.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
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