Memorial of Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr

Today's Mass Readings

The readings for today continue from yesterday. Today Paul reminds us to be obedient to our Christian duties that he listed in yesterday’s reading from Titus. We were once non-believers who entered into sin. Now we have been rescued by the generous love of God who sent Jesus to free us from sin. For Paul, our salvation transpires through the sacrament of baptism. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is poured out on us through this bath of transformation. (Titus 3:6). Thus we are made acceptable to the Lord and become heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. We are justified so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord (Psalm 23:6). In making the Lord our shepherd, we must accept the generous love of the Lord. The psalm poetically illustrates how generous is the love of the Lord. The Lord guides us to do what is right. The Lord is at our side to protect us from evil. We are anointed and blessed because of the love of the Lord. If we truly accept this love into the core of our being we are changed. In understanding fully that God is our shepherd who loves us and guards us all our days, then we can want for nothing. Beyond the Lord, what more could we need.

For St. Josaphat, whose feast we celebrate this day, his faith helped him fear not the evil who surrounded. Josaphat knew that the Lord would lead him to restful waters if he trusted in the Lord. And despite a dangerous situation, Josaphat did what he believed was his calling. He knew that the Lord was by his side.

In today’s Gospel, the lepers wanted something from Jesus. They asked Jesus to have pity on them. (Luke 17:13) Jesus sees this act of faith and grants their request with a request of his own. “Go show yourselves to the priests.” (Luke 17:14) As the ten lepers go to the priest, one realizes they are healed. Aware of the miracle, the transformed return to Jesus to respond with gratitude for the gift he was given. Jesus said to the man your faith has cured you. (Luke 17:19)

In a way today’s Gospel story may seem to be about a miracle that occurred in a foreign land in a time long since forgotten. Yet, this story is really about us today. We are these lepers. We are people who need healing, who need freed from being “slaves to various desires”. (Titus 3:3) It is us who need to call upon the Lord and ask to have our lives transformed by Him. The process of recognizing Jesus as Savior and giving our lives over is how we are made whole.

Today, let us be aware of God’s generous love for us. Let our prayer be one of asking for the Lord to transform whatever in ourselves leads us away from God. And then we need to live our lives with gratitude, being peaceable and considerate so that we might recognize Christ’s generous love through all whom we meet this day.

-Mike Montgomery