28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 9, 2022

The Gospel today gives us an illustration of the ingratitude of mankind.
Christ, in response to the appeal of the lepers, sends them to the priests and heals them on their way.
It would be natural to expect all 10 to return, but only 1 comes back.
Christ laments the lack of gratitude of the 9 but, bestows a special grace upon the grateful one. The 9 were cured in their body, but not their souls. They did not deserve to hear addressed to them the words: “your faith has saved you.” They were not adorned with the same amount of grace as was their thoughtful and faithful companion.

Now let us consider the reasons why the 9 lepers, now cured, failed to return to Christ to give thanks. The 2 reasons are key because we can, at times, act similarly thus missing the opportunity to add grace to our souls.

1. 1 reason was they thought too much of their temporal welfare. Their only desire was to regain their bodily health and strength. They rejoiced which is normal, but this joy should not have so conquered them that they forgot gratitude.
2. Another reason for the ingratitude of the 9 may be found in the fact that they did not appreciate how extraordinary great was the favor that had been granted to them. Normally, we are appreciative for even ordinary favors. How much more so for this extraordinary favor.

During our own lives, we too may not fully appreciate the extraordinary blessings God bestows on us. In the church, we have a sacramental system through which God’s grace – supernatural and free gift – flows into our souls.
We approach the altar, the font, the confessional. We do not deserve these, but God gives them to us through the ministry of the Church. Gratitude will add many other blessings, as it did to the grateful leper who had been cured.

Let us always and for all things, thank and praise God. Then the great supply of graces, which God hands out to his children who acknowledge these favors, will not escape us.