They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
We all necessarily begin life in a condition which makes us unable to draw close to Jesus on our own. It is not because "of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy" that the "bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" heal us from our the spiritual leprosy that otherwise disfigures our souls. Jesus himself does this for us. Then he commands, "Go show yourselves to the priests", that we may be integrated into the worshipping community.
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
Many are healed in the waters of baptismal rebirth. But fewer truly realize that they have been healed. Many follow the instructions to be joined to as members of the Church. But few pause to reflect on how great is the debt of gratitude that they owe to Jesus himself.
Only the healing power of Jesus can transform those who "were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another" to become heirs in in hope of eternal life. But there is a risk that those who are thus transformed don't fully realized from what and for whom they were saved. This may result in a lukewarm commitment to Jesus and a merely perfunctory attempt to live as his disciples. The antidote is a heart that treasures what Jesus has done for us, and a thankfulness that stirs us to devotion.
If our Church was full only of the sort of spiritual lepers who would return to Jesus with thanksgiving she would become a more powerful witness in our world. So let us give thanks ourselves and encourage one another to do the same. Thankfulness is more than a duty. It helps our entire lives take on color, warmth, and purpose.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
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