Deacon Tom Writes,
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
In St Luke’s Gospel for the Twenty-eighth Sunday, we witness several occasions when Jesus encounters Samaritans during his travels. You may recall that Jews and Samaritans despised each other. It was a religious rivalry fueled by differences from the past, such as where they worshiped and how they interpreted scripture. These differences do not hinder Jesus from witnessing to the Samaritans about the Kingdom of God as in the story of the Woman at the Well or in today’s account of the Curing of the Lepers. In both stories it is the Samaritans, the outsiders, who are receptive to Jesus’ message and are thus able to receive the grace Jesus has in store for them.
Isn’t it amazing that Jesus is able to look beyond labels, divisions and even animosities and see the human needs present in those whose paths cross his? Jesus doesn’t proselytize. He doesn’t say, “Hey, become a good Jew first, then I’ll cure you or then I’ll tell you the Good News.” Not at all! Jesus lets his actions rooted in his ministry of inaugurating the Kingdom of God speak for him. And what do his actions say?
Powerfully, the very fact that Jesus speaks to the lepers gives them a sense of dignity and breaks the isolation that has been imposed upon them by society. Their self-worth is affirmed when Jesus acknowledges their presence and instructs them to go and show themselves to the priest. When they listen to him, they are cured.
What immense joy, what amazement this must have given them. But, as we know, unfortunately only one returns to the source of that joy, and that one is the outsider, the Samaritan. The others may have been equally as thankful and went on their way praising God as they rushed home to their families and loved ones. This one Samaritan, however, had the heart-felt gratitude to return and thank Jesus for bringing him back to life in the fullest sense of the word.
Our Samaritan friend we encounter today reminds us to give thanks to God for restoring our lives to completeness by loving us and inviting us to let his love shine through our lives into the hearts and lives of everyone we meet.
Enjoy the day
Deacon Tom
Check out www.deaconspod.com for a contemporary Catholic conversation exploring the treasures our faith has to offer.
Recommended Reading: Open Mind, Open Heart by Cistercian Father Thomas Keating. This is a marvelous introduction to centering prayer as Father guides us how to say "Yes" to God's grace so we can "Be still and know that I am God.”
Recommended YouTube Video: Hear Fr. Keating talk about the Divine Love we can discover through contemplative prayer. The Most Excellent Path, Part 1, with Thomas Keating
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