November 10th Gospel

"Ten were cleansed were they not?" Ok, well, that's the Second Person of the Holy Trinity asking that question...pretty sure He knows the answer. I love rhetorical questions. Especially when God asks them. 'Cause, yeah, what are you going to say, "Well, Jesus, actually, you miscounted, there were only nine..."?

Jesus knew there were ten cleansed, and He already knew that only one of them would be coming back. But He cleansed them anyways. I feel like we would be in a very bad position if God didn't forgive our sins or heal us in any way if He already knows we're going to fall again. Such is the beauty of the Mercy of God.

I also really love how, once again, it's an outsider who is shown being the good guy. First the Samaritan in the Good Samaritan parable, now it's a Samaritan thanking Jesus for His goodness. I truly wonder what happened with the other nine. It actually kind of bugs me. I really can't imagine this one wandering off from them without them knowing that he was going back to see Jesus...why didn't they tag along? And he would've returned to them probably after seeing Jesus...did they feel guilty about not thanking the Man who just saved them? I feel like I could totally put myself in their shoes sometimes, because there are certain times I just don't even think to thank God for a blessing. Even those big, earth-shattering, I'm-no-longer-a-leper kind of moments. Sometimes I think about how Jesus was agonizing in the garden and thinking of everyone...everyone...me. I think about Jesus thinking about me. (And then I can get really complicated and start thinking about how Jesus was thinking about me thinking about Him...yay for circular thinking!) He saw...everything. In the moments before the authorities seized Him He knew exactly what He was suffering for. He knew I wouldn't be grateful. And He provided the Eucharist as a means of reminding me...us.

God is such a planner...which is quite awesome. He saved Our Lady by the Cross ahead of time at her Immaculate Conception. He knew we would forget...all of us, leper, cripple, blind, sinners...so He gave us the visible reminder of the Eucharist of the price He paid. I know without the Sacrament I would forever be forgetting to kneel at His feet. Maybe that's why the other leper's forgot, they just...couldn't see. Praise God for the one who had the eyes of faith!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMLZpyFu43g