Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 3; Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Sabbas the Sanctified (532)
Colossians 1:12-18; Galatians 5:22-6:2; Luke 17:12-19; Matthew 11:27-30
Polyeleos Feast. Nativity Fast.
Read Luke 17:12-19
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In today’s gospel Jesus heals 10 lepers. Only one comes back to thank Him. We don’t want to excuse the 9 lepers who did not come back, but we would like to explain how the healings might have happened. The healings were not instant healings, where Jesus said a word and the person was healed. In this case the healings happened gradually and possibly the ten lepers may have been healed not all at the same time. It would not be a clear-cut cause and effect. So because the healings happened gradually, they would not be sure that it was Jesus that healed them. They might have thought, “Maybe it just happened.” So, kudos to the one Samaritan who had the presence of mind in realizing that it was Jesus and not some coincidence.
Sometimes our prayer has been answered but it happened gradually and so we may not be fully aware. Have we missed some of the divine interventions that have happened in our lives? Even if, weeks later, we realize that God helped us in our need, we should thank Him then and there. It is never too late.