2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19.
Gratitude is an act of faith. Gratuitous faith is found in unusual places. It is found in those places devoid of the prejudice of human judgement. Faith comes through hearing the word of God[1]. The word of God must be accepted into the soul for what it is, the word of God and not some human invention. Today’s readings not only tell about gratitude, but also the atmosphere for it, namely faith. It is not possible to please God without faith. [2]
Gratuitous faith is found where there is no prejudice. On the first day of October 2016, Pope Francis tweeted; God is not known through grand ideas and extensive study, but rather through the littleness of a humble and trusting heart’. The story of the ten lepers healed by Jesus Christ in today’s gospel has it that only the Samaritan came back to give thanks. As the gospel began, Jesus Christ was on his way to Jerusalem through Galilee and Samaria. The mention of Galilee presupposes that the other nine lepers were from there. Jesus Christ is a Galilean; thus it makes sense of the indifference of the ‘nine’ not coming back to thank him. A prophet is not recognized in his own territory. [3] Though healed, their faith could not prompt them to show gratitude. But the Samaritan in his simplicity of heart thought it wise to come back in order to express his gratitude. He was able to see marvels beyond his senses. He was reintegrated socially, healed physically and made whole. This healing happened when and how he least expected.
Unlocking the prejudices beclouding our minds is the atmosphere for gratuitous faith. Naaman, in the first reading, expressed this atmosphere when he said: ‘Now I know’ he said ‘that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel’. Prior to his healing, he doubted the word of the prophet on the grounds of the manner of healing and the choice of river in which to bathe. It took the support of his servants to enable his rid his mind of the prejudices beclouding it in order to bathe in the river Jordan. It takes the gentle eyes of gratuitous faith to capture the pure charity that comes to us as miracle or healing. The same faith will move the heart towards thanksgiving.
The second reading reminds us of the nature of the word of God. The word of God cannot be imprisoned in the prejudices of our minds. According to St. Paul, ‘…but they cannot chain up God’s news.’ The Good News must be accepted for what it is for faith to grow. St. Paul praised the church in Thessaloniki for accepting the word of God for what it is and not some human invention. [4] The story of the Rich man and Lazarus [5], is there to remind us that prophets rising from the dead will not prompt the soul to believe. It is only by hearing and accepting the word for what it is, that the gratuitous heart is created. St. James warns us to, ‘…put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save [our] souls’.[6] Unless we do away with prejudice, we are unable to see genuine reason to give thanks for favors received.
The prejudice we are talking about is that the human mind oftentimes, conceive a certain manner in which healing and miracle should be performed. A poor man who banks all his hope to win the lotto game, will be blind to the fact that his current employer is faithful in paying the ‘meager’ salary and that he is not affected by the job-cut. ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ is not a limitation to daily handout, but a humble submission to the present. It enables us to see the miracles anåd healing in the present. It opens us to daily gratuitous life. The daily expression of divine generosity that is found in the unusual places of the present. Each day is filled so much novelty that we ought to be grateful for. But we lose it due to the prejudices of our minds.
Anthony Ekpunobi, C.M.
[1] Romans 10:17
[2] Hebrews 11:6
[3] Matthew 13:57
[4] 1 Thessalonians 2:13
[5] Luke 16:19-31
[6] James 1:21