Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
The modern age has brought many conveniences into our lives that help us do everything from cooking to communication with efficiency. These tools have contributed to the faster pace in our lives. In some ways they have also contributed to the way we look at our faith. Imagine if we transfer our expectations that we can serve a meal in minutes or get an answer to most any question just by “Googling.” Can God answer our prayers as quickly as Google? The answer of course is no.
If we expect God to answer our prayers instantly or if we expect to be fed by worship with minutes then perhaps we have placed ourselves under the control of secular authorities. Today’s reading from Titus calls on us to be good citizens who do go works; however our righteousness must be connected always to the one who won our salvation.
In today’s Gospel, the lepers wanted something from Jesus. They asked Jesus to have pity on them. 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 healed leper returned to Jesus to respond with gratitude for the gift he was given. Jesus said to the man your faith has cured you.
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 still 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. Yet, we must understand that the Lord asks us to be open to receive whatever the blessing he might send. The process of being open to Jesus as our Lord and Savior allows Jesus to make our hearts whole even if we do not receive the healing we request.
Lord, help us be open to Your generous love for us. Transform our hearts, so that we might in faith be grateful for whatever blessing you send upon us. Amen!
Amen!
-Michael Montgomery