November 12  

 [media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, November 12

LUKE 17:11-19

One of the cured lepers said, “Thank You.”

Prayerthoughts
a. In Jesus’s day, leprosy was a disease for which there was no cure. There are a number of instances like leprosy in our world. How do I treat those who are handicapped in some way?

b. One of my prayers should be the idea of my own sinfulness, saying “Have pity on me.” Do I reflect on my sinfulness enough (but not too much)?

c. Jesus instructs the lepers to show themselves to the priests, which was the law of the Israelites. Do I show sufficient respect for the law of our country and our Church?

d. Maybe the most important word in this story is the word “realize.” Have I made an effort to continually realize the importance of what the Lord has done for me?

e. The central thought for the passage is the thought of thankfulness. Do I spend enough time thanking the Lord for those things that I realize?

f. In the passage, it is a Samaritan, another “religion” who gives thanks. Do I think of other religions as men and women seeking their salvation through their understanding of    God?

g. The leper’s faith led him to salvation. Do I show my faith often enough to others?

h. My prayerthoughts… 

Today I will read Wisdom 6:1-11 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE LEPER WHO RETURNED

+ In the Gospel, the evangelist Luke speaks of salvation:

- Jesus saying to the one leper who came back to thank him, that the leper’s faith had saved him

- the cure was the occasion of the Samaritan leper’s salvation

- so that the miracle is incidental

- what is important is salvation

+ That Gospel story has a couple of thoughts that come and are good to mention and dwell on just a little:

1 – that which brought salvation about for the leper: recognition of God’s action in his life

- the obvious conclusion for us: do we spend enough time taking the time to study the Lord’s action in our lives, how he has really loved us, what he has done for us, how things have worked out for us

2 – there were nine others who do not recognize God’s action in their lives, but the Samaritan did and there was no judgment of others on his part

- he was concerned about what he had to do—period

- that’s a tremendous lesson in itself: when we do something right and we know that it is right, we shouldn’t be thinking about others in judgment of them

3 – our salvation is tied up with the whole concept of thanksgiving

- what the fact of salvation should lead us to naturally is that we must thank God constantly

- allowing it to become second nature to us

- to live is to thank God

4 – the final understanding from the Gospel is what the leper did as a result of his understanding

- it was a faith in Jesus that not only led the leper to recognize, but it led him to action as well

He fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

- our faith should lead us to do things that can be measured

`

+ Today’s reading from the book of Wisdom closes with the directive: “Desire therefore my words; long for them and you shall be instructed.”

- the Gospel’s words which is the story of the returning leper are a tremendous source of instruction for us.                                                                                                         

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s maids came along. Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” So, he went out into the outer court. Then the cock crowed. The maid saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” Once again, he denied it. A little later the bystanders said to Peter once more, “Surely you are one of them; for you too are a Galilean.” He began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man about whom you are talking.” And immediately a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” He broke down and wept.

Gospelthink: As the leaders prepared to kill Jesus, Peter denies that he knows him.

“And for a fortnight there, we were forever. Run into you sometimes, ask about the weather.  Now you’re in my backyard, turned into good neighbors.  Your wife waters flowers. I wanna kill her. My husband is cheating; I wanna kill him. All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February, I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.  And I love you, it’s ruining my life. I touched you for only a fortnight, but I touched you.”

Peter obviously felt quite badly when he finally realized what he had done. He had denied that he knew this man whom he knew was the Messiah and his close friend.  Perhaps his previous knowledge of the good times with Jesus was something that gave him the courage to repent and accept once again the Lord of his life. 

One of the encouraging things about our lives is that even in the midst of something very negative, we can always find something positive to help us.  We may not enjoy the present, but remembering a past positive may help a little.  Of course, we still have to deal with the present reality, but at least we will know that something good will return.  And, as Peter, knowledge of something good in the past might be able to move us to do something about a negative present moment. 

Studying the scenario offered by the song “Fortnight,” from Taylor Swift and Post Malone, we don’t know whether there was enough positive feeling to help the lady in the song forget about the problem of the present.  She still had to live next door to the person who took her lover, and she still had the very negative feeling of living with someone whom she did not love.  But chances are the knowledge of the couple weeks of love that she had was enough to make her accept what was happening, and then move on in life. 

It is a possibility that we all need. Unfortunately, there are many negatives in life, some of them by our own choosing.  Sometimes we can do something about them, but many times we cannot do anything.  It is a comforting thought that because of a past time of something truly positive, we can overcome the negative feeling of a present moment. And then move us to do something about that negative present.

PRAYER 

Good and gracious God, we run into many negative moments in our lives. Many times it is our fault; many times we could not have done anything about it.  Whatever the cause, give us the help and grace to understand how a good moment of the past can help us deal with the negative moment of the present. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We can be thankful for some past situation even though the present is not going very well.  

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Fortnight" teach young people?
2. What is the most important lesson from Peter’s denial of Jesus?

3. In what area do Christians most deny Jesus in their lives?

4. Do you agree with the meditation that a positive moment of the past might help a negative moment in the present?  Yes or no and why?

5. In the particular instance of the song “Fortnight,” what would the lady in the relationship have to do to improve her life?

6. In general, what is the biggest “negative” that happens to people in relationships? What can be done about it?

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America