Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 17
11.	And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.	Et factum est, dum iret in Jerusalem, transibat per mediam Samariam et Galilæam.	και εγενετο εν τω πορευεσθαι αυτον εις ιερουσαλημ και αυτος διηρχετο δια μεσου σαμαρειας και γαλιλαιας
12.	And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off;	Et cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum, occurrerunt ei decem viri leprosi, qui steterunt a longe :	και εισερχομενου αυτου εις τινα κωμην απηντησαν αυτω δεκα λεπροι ανδρες οι εστησαν πορρωθεν
13.	And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, master, have mercy on us.	et levaverunt vocem, dicentes : Jesu præceptor, miserere nostri.	και αυτοι ηραν φωνην λεγοντες ιησου επιστατα ελεησον ημας
14.	Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean.	Quos ut vidit, dixit : Ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus. Et factum est, dum irent, mundati sunt.	και ιδων ειπεν αυτοις πορευθεντες επιδειξατε εαυτους τοις ιερευσιν και εγενετο εν τω υπαγειν αυτους εκαθαρισθησαν
15.	And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.	Unus autem ex illis, ut vidit quia mundatus est, regressus est, cum magna voce magnificans Deum,	εις δε εξ αυτων ιδων οτι ιαθη υπεστρεψεν μετα φωνης μεγαλης δοξαζων τον θεον
16.	And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan.	et cecidit in faciem ante pedes ejus, gratias agens : et hic erat Samaritanus.	και επεσεν επι προσωπον παρα τους ποδας αυτου ευχαριστων αυτω και αυτος ην σαμαρειτης
17.	And Jesus answering, said, Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine?	Respondens autem Jesus, dixit : Nonne decem mundati sunt ? et novem ubi sunt ?	αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν ουχι οι δεκα εκαθαρισθησαν οι δε εννεα που
18.	There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.	Non est inventus qui rediret, et daret gloriam Deo, nisi hic alienigena.	ουχ ευρεθησαν υποστρεψαντες δουναι δοξαν τω θεω ει μη ο αλλογενης ουτος
19.	And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.	Et ait illi : Surge, vade : quia fides tua te salvum fecit.	και ειπεν αυτω αναστας πορευου η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε

11. And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14. And when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18. There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19. And he said to him, Arise, go your way: your faith has made you whole.

AMBROSE; After speaking the foregoing parable, our Lord censures the ungrateful;

TITUS BOST. saying, And it came to pass, showing that the Samaritans were indeed well disposed towards the mercies above mentioned, but the Jews not so. For there was enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, and He to allay this, passed into the midst of both nations, that he might cement both into one new man.

CYRIL; The Savior next manifests His glory by drawing over Israel to the faith. As it follows, And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, men who were banished from the towns and cities, and counted unclean, according to the rites of the Mosaic law.

TITUS BOST. They associated together from the sympathy they felt as partakers of the same calamity, and were waiting till Jesus passed, anxiously looking out to see Him approach. As it is said, Which stood afar off, for the Jewish law esteems leprosy unclean, whereas the law of the Gospel calls unclean not the outward, but the inward leprosy.

THEOPHYL. They therefore stand afar off as if ashamed of the uncleanness which was impaled to them, thinking that Christ would loathe them as others did. Thus they stood afar off, but were made nigh to Him by their prayers. For the Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth. Therefore it follows, And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us.

TITUS BOST. They pronounce the name of Jesus, and gain to themselves the reality. For Jesus is by interpretation Savior. They say, Have mercy upon us, because they were sensible of His power, and sought neither for gold and silver, but that their bodies might put on again a healthful appearance.

THEOPHYL. They do not merely supplicate or entreat Him as if He were a man, but they call Him Master or Lord, as if almost they looked upon Him as God. But He bids them show themselves to the priests, as it follows, And when he saw them, he said, Go, show yourselves to the priests. For they were examined whether they were cleansed from their leprosy or not.

CYRIL; The law also ordered, that those who were cleansed from leprosy should offer sacrifice for the sake of their purification.

THEOPHYL. Therefore in bidding them go to the priests he meant nothing more than that they were just about to be healed; and so it follows, And it came to pass that as they went they were healed.

CYRIL; Whereby the Jewish priests who were jealous of His glory might know that it was by Christ granting them health that they were suddenly and miraculously healed.

THEOPHYL. But out of the ten, the nine Israelites were ungrateful, whereas the Samaritan stranger returned and lifted up his voice in thanksgiving, as it follows, And one of them turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.

TITUS BOST. When he found that he was cleansed, he had boldness to draw near, as it follows, And fell down on his face at his feet giving him thanks. Thus by his prostration and prayers shelving at once both his faith and his gratitude. It follows, And he was a Samaritan.

THEOPHYL. We may gather from this that a man is not one whit hindered from pleasing God because he comes from a cursed race, only let him bear in his heart an honest purpose. Further, let not him that is born of saints boast himself, for the nine who were Israelites were ungrateful; and hence it follows, And Jesus answering him said, Were there not ten cleansed?

TITUS BOST. Wherein it is shown, that strangers were more ready to receive the faith, but Israel was slow to believe; and so it follows, And he said to him, Arise, go your way, your faith has made you whole.

AUG. The lepers may be taken mystically for those who, having no knowledge of the true faith, profess various erroneous doctrines. For they do not conceal their ignorance, but brazen it forth as the highest wisdom, making a vain show of it with boasting words. But since leprosy is a blemish in color, when true things appear clumsily mixed up with false in a single discourse or narration, as in the color of a single body, they represent a leprosy streaking and disfiguring as it were with true and false dyes the color of the human form. Now these lepers must be so put away from the Church, that being as far removed as possible, they may with loud shouts call upon Christ. But by their calling Him Teacher, I think it is plainly implied that leprosy is truly the false doctrine which the good teacher may wash away. Now we find that of those upon whom our Lord bestowed bodily mercies, not one did He send to the priests, save the lepers, for the Jewish priesthood was a figure of that priesthood which is in the Church. All vices our Lord corrects and heals by His own power working inwardly in the conscience, but the teaching of infusion by means of the Sacrament, or of catechizing by word of mouth, was assigned to the Church. And as they went, they were cleansed; just as the Gentiles to whom Peter came, having not yet received the sacrament of Baptism, whereby we come spiritual to the priests, are declared cleansed by the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Whoever then follows true and sound doctrine in the fellowship of the Church, proclaiming himself to be free from the confusion of lies, as it were a leprosy, yet still ungrateful to his Cleanser does not prostrate himself with pious humility of thanksgiving, is like to those of whom the Apostle says, that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, nor were thankful. Such then will remain in the ninth number as imperfect. For the nine need one, that by a certain form of unity they may be cemented together, in order to become ten. But he who gave thanks was approved of as a type of the one only Church. And since these were Jews, they are declared to have lost through pride the kingdom of heaven, wherein most of all unity is preserved. But the man who was a Samaritan, which is by interpretation “guardian,” giving back to Him who gave it that which he had received, according to the Psalm, My strength will I preserve for you, has kept the unity of the kingdom with humble devotion.

BEDE; He fell upon his face, because he blushes with shame when he remembers the evils he had committed. And he is commended to rise and walk, because he who, knowing his own weakness, lies lowly on the ground, is led to advance by the consolation of the divine word to mighty deeds. But if faith made him whole, who hurried himself back to give thanks, therefore does unbelief destroy those who have neglected to give glory to God for mercies received. Wherefore that we ought to increase our faith by humility, as it is declared in the former parable, so in this is it exemplified in the actions themselves.

Catena Aurea Luke 17

Christ healing the ten lepers

Decani, Serbia

Saint Albert the Great

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Image: Saint Albert the Great | Vincenzo Onofri | photo by sailko

Saint Albert the Great

Saint of the Day for November 15

(1206 – November 15, 1280)

Saint Albert the Great’s Story

Albert the Great was a 13th-century German Dominican who decisively influenced the Church’s stance toward Aristotelian philosophy brought to Europe by the spread of Islam.

Students of philosophy know him as the master of Thomas Aquinas. Albert’s attempt to understand Aristotle’s writings established the climate in which Thomas Aquinas developed his synthesis of Greek wisdom and Christian theology. But Albert deserves recognition on his own merits as a curious, honest, and diligent scholar.

He was the eldest son of a powerful and wealthy German lord of military rank. He was educated in the liberal arts. Despite fierce family opposition, he entered the Dominican novitiate.

His boundless interests prompted him to write a compendium of all knowledge: natural science, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, ethics, economics, politics, and metaphysics. His explanation of learning took 20 years to complete. “Our intention,” he said, “is to make all the aforesaid parts of knowledge intelligible to the Latins.”

He achieved his goal while serving as an educator at Paris and Cologne, as Dominican provincial, and even as bishop of Regensburg for a short time. He defended the mendicant orders and preached the Crusade in Germany and Bohemia.

Albert, a Doctor of the Church, is the patron of scientists and philosophers.

Reflection

An information glut faces us Christians today in all branches of learning. One needs only to read current Catholic periodicals to experience the varied reactions to the findings of the social sciences, for example, in regard to Christian institutions, Christian life-styles, and Christian theology. Ultimately, in canonizing Albert, the Church seems to point to his openness to truth, wherever it may be found, as his claim to holiness. His characteristic curiosity prompted Albert to mine deeply for wisdom within a philosophy his Church warmed to with great difficulty.

Saint Albert the Great is the Patron Saint of:

Medical Technicians
Philosophers
Scientists

Another Saint of the Day for November 15 is Blessed Mary of the Passion.

Who Is [Saint] Albert the Great?
On St. Albert the Great
Saint Albert The Great[Teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas]

Information: St. Albert the Great

Feast Day: November 15

Born: 1206, Lauingen, Bavaria

Died: November 15, 1280, Cologne, Holy Roman Empire

Canonized: 1931 by Pius XI

Major Shrine: St. Andreas in Cologne

Patron of: medical technicians; natural sciences; philosophers; scientists; students

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Albert the Great

Feast Day: November 15
Born: 1206 :: Died: 1280

Albert was born in a castle on the Danube River in Swabia (southwest Germany) and was the son of a military nobleman. He studied at the University of Padua in Italy and there he decided to become a Dominican Priest.

His uncle tried to change his mind but Albert would not as he felt that this was what God wanted. His father, the count of Bollstadt, was very angry. The Dominicans thought that he would force Albert to come back home and transferred him to a location farther away. But his father did not come after him.

St. Albert loved to study. The natural sciences, especially physics, geography and biology, interested him. He also loved to study his Catholic religion and the Bible.

He used to observe the ways of animals and write down what he saw, just as scientists do today. He wrote a great number of books on these subjects. He also wrote on philosophy and was a popular teacher in different schools.

One of St. Albert's pupils was the great St. Thomas Aquinas. It is said that Albert found out about the death of St. Thomas directly from God. He had guided St. Thomas in beginning his great works in philosophy and theology. He also defended his teachings after Thomas died.

As St. Albert grew older, he became more holy. Before, he had expressed his deep thoughts in his writings. Now he expressed them in his whole way of living for God.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Wednesday, November 15

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial
of St. Albert the Great, bishop
and doctor of the Church. Albert
was a very learned man in the
natural sciences but his great
love was teaching theology. St.
Thomas Aquinas was among his
students.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: November 15th

Optional Memorial of St. Albert the Great, bishop, confessor and doctor

MASS READINGS

November 15, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith, grant, we pray, that we may so adhere to the truths he taught, that through progress in learning we may come to a deeper knowledge and love of you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: St. Albert the Great; St. Leopold of Austria (Hist)

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Albert the Great, son of a German nobleman, who was studying at Padua when the Master General of the Dominicans, Jordan of Saxony, succeeded in attracting him to that Order. He was to become one of its greatest glories. After taking his degrees at the University of Paris he taught philosophy and theology at Paris and then in Cologne. St. Thomas Aquinas was among his pupils. His knowledge was encyclopedic. In 1260 he was named Bishop of Ratisbon and devoted himself zealously to the duties of his office. But soon resigned in order to continue his teaching and research. St. Albert died in Cologne on November 15, 1280.

St. Leopold of Austria is not on the Universal Roman Calendar but is included in the Roman Martyrology. He was born at Melk in Austria, a grandson of emperor Henry III. In 1096 he succeeded his father as fourth margrave of Austria. He married Agnes, daughter of Henry IV, by whom he had eighteen children. He ruled firmly and successfully for forty years, and was especially interested in the spread of religious institutions. He was the founder of Mariazell (Benedictine), Heiligenkreuz (Cistercian) and Klosternenburg (Augustinian). He was buried in the last mentioned monastery.

St. Albert the Great
Albert, the "light of Germany," called the Great because of his encyclopedic knowledge, was born in 1193 at Lauingen, Donau. He studied at Padua, where under the influence of the second Dominican general, he joined the newly-founded Order of Preachers (1223). Soon he was sent to Germany, taught in various cities, particularly Cologne; Thomas Aquinas was his student. In 1248 he received the honor of Master in Sacred Theology at Paris. Throngs attended his lectures.

In 1254 Albert was chosen provincial of his Order in Germany. For a time he lived at the court of Pope Alexander II, who in 1260 made him bishop of Regensburg; two years later, however, he returned to his community at Cologne. There he acted as counselor, peacemaker, and shepherd of souls with great success. He died at the age of eighty-seven. Pope Pius XI numbered him among the ranks of the saints on December 16, 1931, and declared him a doctor of the Church. Much of his life was given to writing. His twenty-one folio volumes are devoted to commentaries on Aristotle (whose works were just then becoming known in the West) and the Bible. Legend credits him with drawing the ground plans for the cathedral at Cologne. Albert, the greatest German scholar of the Middle Ages, was outstanding in the fields of natural science, theology, and philosophy.

—Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Albert is named "Doctor Universalis" because of his vast knowledge and writings.

Patron: Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio; medical technicians; natural sciences; philosophers; schoolchildren; scientists; students; students of theology.

Symbols: crosier of a bishop; cap of the teacher; large book; cross over the sun, the moon and the earth (symbolizing his theological wisdom and knowledge of nature); Man dressed as a Dominican bishop lecturing from a pulpit; man arguing with Saint Thomas Aquinas; Dominican holding a globe, lecturing from a pulpit, or studying.

Things to Do:

Learn more about St. Albert from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Dominicans.
St. Albert is an especially apt patron for scientists because he made his love of truth about nature into an instrument of his love of Christ;
Read what Pope Benedict XVI wrote about science and faith.

St. Leopold of Austria
Born at Melk, Austria, he was educated by Bishop Altman of Passau and succeeded his father as margrave of Austria when he was twenty-three. He married the daughter of Emperor Henry IV, by whom he had eighteen children, in 1106, founded the monasteries of Heiligenkreuz in the Wienerwald, Klosterneuburg, near Vienriazell in Styria, and was known for his piety and charity. He refused the imperial crown when his brother-in-law Henry V died in 1125. Leopold died after reigning as margrave for forty years at Klosterneuburg. He was surnamed "the Good" by his people and was canonized in 1486.

—Excerpted from the Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney

St. Leopold is the patron saint of Austria. This day is called Goose Day in Austria, another harvest festival that includes traditional menus of roast goose and the drinking of the new wine.

Patron: Austria (so named in 1663); death of children; large families; Lower Austria; step-parents; Upper Austria.

Symbols: Armed count with a cross on his coronet, a banner with three eagles, and a model of the church of Heiligenkreuz in his hand; before the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Anne; hunting with his courtiers, and finding his wife's veil near the monastery of Klosterneuburg; with Saint Jerome; with his building Klosterneuburg; with the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to him while hunting and the veil nearby.

Things to Do:

Prepare a dinner of Austrian Goulash or some other Austrian dish in honor of St. Leopold, or follow Austrian customs of roasting a goose and drinking new wine. See recipes for Martinmas (November 11) and Michaelmas (September 29).
Learn more about Klosterneuburg Abbey that St. Leopold founded and the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Albert the Great

detail from 'Saint Albert the Great' by Tommaso da Modena, 1352, Chapter House, San Niccolò, Treviso, Italy

Also known as

Albert of Lauingen
Albertus Magnus
Doctor Expertus
Doctor Universalis

Memorial

15 November

Profile

Son of a military nobleman. Dominican. Priest. Taught theology at Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France. Teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Influential teacher, preacher, and administrator. Bishop of Regensburg, Germany. Introduced Greek and Arabic science and philosophy to medieval Europe. Known for his wide interest in what became known later as the natural sciences – botany, biology, etc. Wrote and illustrated guides to his observations, and was considered on a par with Aristotle as an authority on these matters. Theological writer. Doctor of the Church.

Born

1206 at Lauingen an der Donau, Swabia (part of modern Germany)

Died

15 November 1280 at Cologne, Prussia (part of modern Germany) of natural causes

Beatified

1622 by Pope Gregory XV

Canonized

1931 by Pope Pius XI

Patronage

Cincinnati, Ohio, archdiocese of
medical technicians
natural sciences
philosophers
schoolchildren
scientists (proclaimed on 13 August 1948 by Pope Pius XII)
students
theology students

Representation

man dressed as a Dominican bishop lecturing from a pulpit
man arguing with Saint Thomas Aquinas

Prayers

Dear Scientist and Doctor of the Church, natural science always led you to the higher science of God. Though you had an encyclopedic knowledge, it never made you proud, for you regarded it as a gift of God. Inspire scientists to use their gifts well in studying the wonders of creation, thus bettering the lot of the human race and rendering greater glory to God. Amen.

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Churchmen in Science
Catholic Encyclopedia
Illustrated Catholic Family Annual
New Catholic Dictionary
Pope Benedict XVI: On Saint Albert the Great
Saints in Art, by Margaret Tabor
books
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other sites in english
images
- Wikimedia Commons
audio
- LibriVox: On Union With God, by Saint Albert the Great – audio
video
- YouTube PlayList
e-books
- On Cleaving to God, by Saint Albert the Great
webseiten auf deutsch
sitios en español
- Orden de Predicadores
- Santos Martirologio
sites en français
siti in italiano
strony w jezyku polskim
- Compendium theologicae veritatis

Readings

It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man, and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity, we possess God, for “God is Charity” (1 John 4:8) – Saint Albert the Great
The greater and more persistent your confidence in God, the more abundantly you will receive what you ask. – Saint Albert the Great
He could not have commanded anything more beneficial, for this Sacrament is the fruit of the tree of life. Anyone who receives this Sacrament with the devotion of sincere faith will never taste death. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and blessed is he who holds it fast. The man who feeds on Me shall live on account of Me. – Saint Albert the Great on the Eucharist
“Do this in remembrance of me.” Two things should be noted here. The first is the command that we should use this sacrament, which is indicated when Jesus says, “Do this.” The second is that this sacrament commemorates the Lord’s going to death for our sake. This sacrament is profitable because it grants remission of sins; it is most useful because it bestows the fullness of grace on us in this life. “The Father of spirits instructs us in what is useful for our sanctification.” And his sanctification is in Christ’s sacrifice, that is, when he offers himself in this sacrament to the Father for our redemption to us for our use. Christ could not have commanded anything more beneficial, for this sacrament is the fruit of the tree of life. Anyone who receives this sacrament with the devotion of sincere faith will never taste death. “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and blessed is he who holds it fast. The man who feeds on me shall live on account of me.” Nor could he have commanded anything more lovable, for this sacrament produces love and union. It is characteristic of the greatest love to give itself as food. “Had not the men of my text exclaimed: Who will feed us with his flesh to satisfy our hunger? as if to say: I have loved them and they have loved me so much that I desire to be within them, and they wish to receive me so that they may become my members. There is no more intimate or more natural means for them to be united to me, and I to them. Nor could he have commanded anything which is more like eternal life. Eternal life flows from this sacrament because God with all sweetness pours himself out upon the blessed. – from a commentary by Saint Albert the Great on the Gospel of Luke

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 17:11-19

Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)

He fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. (Luke 17:16)

The Greek word for “thanked” in this passage is one of the most important words in our life of faith. What is this word? Euchariston. That’s right. The word that we get “Eucharist” from.

The whole of the Mass is our way of saying “Thank you” to Jesus. “Thank you for saving us.” “Thank you for giving us your Spirit.” “Thank you for the Church.” “Thank you for every good gift you have ever given us.” It is one long, extended act of thanksgiving!

During the penitential rite, we thank Jesus for his mercy, even as we confess that we have sinned. Picture yourself standing before the Lord, hearing him say, “Neither do I condemn you.” How could you help but sing his praises? How could you help but cry out, “Glory to God in the highest!”

At the end of each of the readings, we respond, “Thanks be to God!” or “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!” We thank the Lord for speaking words of life to us, words that have the power to pierce our hearts and lift us up to heaven. We thank him for all the stories from Scripture that tell us about God’s wonderful deeds—stories that tell us how much he wants to do in our own lives.

During the offertory, we offer him bread and wine, but we also offer him our lives in gratitude for the gift of his life. We are imitating the psalmist, who asked, “How can I repay the Lord for all the great good done for me? I will raise the cup of salvation” (Psalm 116:12-13).

When we receive Jesus in Communion, we are telling him how grateful we are for offering himself on the cross and for offering himself to us on the altar. We are so thankful for this act of love that we long to receive him—body and blood, soul and divinity—into our very being. We are so moved by his generosity that we want to be with him always.

We have a generous, loving, and merciful God. He has given us every good and perfect gift, especially the gift of himself in the Eucharist. Let’s bow down in worship and proclaim our thanks to him!

“All glory and honor is yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Thank you for all you have given us!”

Wisdom 6:1-11
Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for November 15, 2017:

(Reader’s Tip) Keep Jesus’s teachings at the center of your marriage: Be the first to forgive and the last to blame, and never go to sleep angry with each other.

Regnum Christi

November 15, 2017 – The Highest of All Prayers

15 Nov 2017

Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Father Alex Yeung, LC

Luke 17: 11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

Introductory Prayer: I love you my Lord, because you are love itself. Forgive all that is in me that does not come from your love and does not reflect your love. If I am to become what you want me to be, it will happen only if I allow you to act in me.

Petition: Lord, grant me the gift of gratitude towards you.

1. From Receiver to Giver: These poor lepers are outcasts, banned from communion with all society. Their only hope is Christ. They have nothing to lose by asking, and so they make their plea. Standing at a distance from Christ, according to the law, they acknowledge their own helplessness and beg for mercy. They receive it: Christ heals them, and they go on their way, satisfied with his gift. To our Lord’s dismay, however, only one returns to give thanks. To give thanks in Greek is EuXaristia. Only one is Eucharistic; only one is saved.

2. A Just Return: Our Lord rewards gratitude. Why is our thanksgiving so important to God? In a way, by showing gratitude we justly return to God what he deserves. Take the example of the lepers: They are helpless outcasts. They can’t do anything for themselves except beg – much like our situation before God. We, too, are spiritual lepers begging God’s mercy. If we were to accept God’s gift without giving thanks, we would be reduced to mere consumers of grace, incapable of giving anything back. But God wants to save us from that predicament, and he asks our thanksgiving, euXaristia.

3. From Thanksgiving to Communion: What is the dynamic of thanksgiving? When we give thanks, we are no longer passive recipients; we become active givers, giving back to One who has given us what we do not deserve. When we become active givers, God places us on another level – another level capable of receiving even more from him. By giving thanks for what he had received, the leper was capable of receiving more from God. Indeed, he did receive more – he was saved. Saved by God’s mercy, he was now capable of receiving still more, of growing in intimacy with God. God invites us into a personal relationship today, into a Eucharistic relationship in which we are no longer mere passive recipients of his grace, but coworkers of his redemption. In living a life of thanksgiving, a Eucharistic life, we attract many blessings for our own souls, our families, our parish, and for souls in danger of being lost.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, make me aware of the many gifts you have given me so that I may respond to them and give you what you deserve: my heartfelt thanksgiving. May I be more thankful and thus deepen my communion with you.

Resolution: I will make a visit to the Eucharist today and consider the many gifts God has given me. In adoration I will thank him with all my being.

Homily of the Day

November 15, 2017

Life is full of blessings. We always hear this not only from priests but from a lot of people and yet do we firmly agree? With most of the things or achievements we have we think “I” worked for it that’s why “I” have it. Or we may think that what we have, we deserved it. There is no sense of gratitude in us. We pray to God a lot of times for good grades or a good job or a better opportunity and when we do get it, yes we say thank you but when that “good job” comes in, we lose time for prayer or even Sunday mass. We already got what we wanted so we can easily forget God anyway.

He’ll still be around when we call.

In today’s Gospel, ten lepers were made clean but only one, a foreigner, said “thank you.” Why? We might think this reading is far from us since we really don’t have a problem with leprosy at this time, but when did we ever take time out from our full schedules, sit quietly and just say “God, thank you for the roof over my head that keeps me dry in the rain, and cool from the heat of the sun?” or “God, thank you for the food that I eat three times a day?” or “Lord, thank you for my family and friends that are around me loving me.” If we look around us, and start counting the blessings we have received from God, 24 hours in a day will not be enough to count what the Lord has blessed us with.

This Gospel is inviting us strongly to have an attitude of gratitude and that we will start being happy as we give praise to God.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 6

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St. Albert the Great

Wisdom 6:2-11
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Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7

Luke 17:11-19
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A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

"He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises. This man was a Samaritan." �Luke 17:16

"Recall that Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans" (Jn 4:9). The Jews and the Samaritans had a long history of being enemies. Yet Jesus spoke to and brought salvation to a Samaritan woman (see Jn 4:42). This surprised both the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:9) and Jesus' disciples (Jn 4:27). Jesus also made a Samaritan the hero of His story about loving one's neighbor (Lk 10:33). Then Jesus pointed out that the Samaritan leper was the only one of the ten who were healed that returned to thank Him (Lk 17:16-18). As with the Samaritan woman, Jesus gave salvation to this grateful Samaritan (Lk 17:19). Immediately before Jesus ascended, He promised to give us the Holy Spirit so we could be His "witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This promise was fulfilled when Philip "went down to the town of Samaria and there proclaimed the Messiah" (Acts 8:5).

Jesus loved and loves Samaritans. Jesus openly proclaims His love for our long-standing enemies � for those whom it is politically correct to vilify and demonize. Jesus loves those whom it is very unpopular to love. By His love for those who are the enemies whom we all agree should be hated, Jesus sets Himself up to be unpopular, persecuted, and hated.

Jesus commands us to love as He loves. Therefore, love your Samaritans and expect to be hated for your love, as Jesus was and is.

Prayer: Father, may I love as You do.

Promise: "The lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test." �Wis 6:6

Praise: St. Albert proved there is no conflict between science and the Truth. He taught that the Eucharist "is most useful because it bestows the fullness of grace on us in this life."