I believe that today's gospel message is very easy. That we should say thank you. Something that our parents have instilled in us from our childhood. We are here today to celebrate this Eucharist to say Thank God! Thank you for all the benefits we have received.
In the gospel ten lepers approached Jesus asking for compassion from Jesus. And he shows compassion and all ten were healed, but only one, a foreigner, returns to say thank you. Something so easy and so important but 90% forget to do. Very easy, but also very important, but why so difficult? It is difficult because they are not only words but attitudes as well.
Pope Francis speaking with families on the feast of the Holy Family spoke on this point. He said that it is not easy to form a family and he said that there are three essential words or attitudes for family life: please, thanks and forgiveness.
Please. Never presume that you know what the other person is thinking. Please is asking for permission. It is the basis of communication and respect. I think the 10 lepers teach us this. When they approach Jesus saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on me," they are asking for something. They recognize that they do not have the right to even approach Jesus and so from a distance they call to him. It is the same in our relationships. Asking for permission is acknowledging that we do not own the other person. And that we have a need. It is difficult to ask, we want to have control of our lives and but asking for permission recognizes that we are not autonomous but people in relationship.
Thanks. It is what the Samaritan teaches us to say thank you. It's a deeper level in a relationship. It's easy to ask when we want something. We don't have money so we ask for it. We don't have a car so we borrow one. But thanks, it comes later. Saying thank you recognizes that we have received a gift and shows the attitude of heart. Sometimes I have forgotten to say thank you, and then people ask me, "Did you get the money." Saying thank you means that I have received the gift but it also shows our attitude of heart. With the other nine perhaps Jesus had a doubt, “Were they healed?” yes or no.
Finally, the word, sorry. Perhaps the most difficult. There are few people who know how to pronounce the word "sorry." In a real relationship there are always mistakes. We must recognize it, and apologize, ask for forgiveness, it does a lot of good. If the other nine had recognized their mistake they could have returned to ask forgiveness. It's never too late to apologize. But why is it so difficult to apologize? Why can't we say? I'm sorry! Remember that it is not the words but the attitude. By asking for forgiveness, we are acknowledging our mistake. That we are not perfect.
In the gospel it says that only one foreigner came back to say thank you! What is a foreigner? It is not so much someone who was born in another country. In the time of Jesus foreigners were different people, especially people of different religion. A pagan, those who had less value and importance in society. And it is this foreigner who teaches us how to be real Christians. People who can pronounce well the three words: permission, thanks and sorry!
Today I am going to give you a task. This week you have to say these three words, excuse me, thank you and sorry. I promise you, if we could say these three words more, your families, our community and church and the whole world would be much better off.
Thank you!
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