The readings assigned for this weekend are taken from Paul’s letter to the Colossians (3:12-16) and Luke’s account of Christ healing ten lepers. I would offer this reflection by combining my thoughts on these two readings.

In St. Paul’s Letter, he writes to the Colossians about the “Practice of Virtues”. He reminds them that, because they are “God’s chosen ones,” they must clothe themselves with “heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness and patience”. He then writes to them that they must dedicate themselves to “thankfulness”.

The Gospel story, I truly believe, also highlights the need for “thankfulness.” Jesus cured ten lepers and only one came back to express his thanks to Jesus. The man who came back and offered thanks was, as the Gospel describes him, a “foreigner,” that is a Samaritan. Because of their imperfect adherence to Judaism and their partly pagan ancestry, the Samaritans were despised by ordinary Jews. Samaritans also harbored antipathy toward the Jews. That the Samaritans were separated from and looked down upon by the Jews makes them important in the New Testament. Jesus indicated that a new attitude must be taken toward the all others.

Lepers were typically ostracized from Jewish society because of their sickness. Religious Jews were forbidden to have any contact with them. It was believed that leprosy was God’s punishment.

It is interesting that “thankfulness” is at the very heart of our Christian faith. The communal worship service we celebrate together is properly called an “Eucharistic” or “Thanksgiving” Service. We hold that central to our growing in our likeness of Jesus is the development of an attitude of “thankfulness” to God for all that He has given us, especially for the life He shares with us. It is only when we become thankful for our human life do we become united with Christ.

As I think about the Gospel story, several thoughts come to mind. First, when we don’t practice the virtues that Paul speaks about, we separate ourselves from others and the followers of Christ – we separate ourselves from the “Body of Christ,” the Church. Second, we need to be thankful for not only the easy things of life but also for the challenges since they become opportunities for us to grow in our trust and hope in God. And third, we must realize that anytime we ostracize others because they don’t believe like we do, we manage, in effect, to separate ourselves from God Himself.