Today's Gospel: Luke 17:11-19 Leprosy is a hideous disease that slowly robs its victims of limb and finally life. It is highly contagious, and in Jesus’ time there was no cure. People who developed this affliction were isolated, cut off from their families, neighbors for fear of spreading the disease. They could not even worship God with others. Jesus had compassion on the ten lepers who met Him on the road, healing them and restoring them to community. All were overjoyed. Nine, whom we might presume were Jewish, were so overjoyed they forgot to give thanks. The tenth was a Samaritan, someone who was considered by the righteous to be someone who did not worship properly or in the right place. Of the ten who knew how to worship, only the one who was considered “wrong” remembered what was right. How easy it is to say that we are right and others are wrong, while not examining our own consciences to see if that is actually true. How easy it is to fall into the spiritual leprosy of judgmentalism! We exclude others from the list of “good” Catholics for any number of reasons. We might even have a valid point sometimes. But even this can blind us to what is good in others as we put ourselves in Jesus’ place and judge our neighbors. Today, let us remember that in some ways we are all spiritual lepers in one way or another, and return to Jesus seeking His grace and mercy. Then, let us remember to be grateful!

Ponder:

What sin or shortcoming do I struggle to overcome that keeps me from having compassion for others?

Pray:

Jesus, I am like the lepers who came to You for healing and mercy. Please cleanse me and make me whole in Your sight.
Copyright 2018 Carol Chybowski Carol Ann Chybowski is a long time member of the Catholic Writers Guild. She has published book reviews at various websites and appears in two volumes of A Community of Voices: An Anthology of Santa Barbara, as well as in Spiritual Awakenings: Stories of Praise and Redemption, and Word by Word: Slowing Down With The Hail Mary. Receive CatholicMom.com newsletters in your inbox, including the Daily Gospel Reflection each morning! * indicates required
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