And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice. – Luke 17:15

       I can identify with the lepers in today’s Gospel. Not that I had leprosy — only that I was also as despicable:

       I was ugly, short, and had a not-so-pointed-nose, big eyes (with big eyebags), a rough complexion, unkempt hair, and teeth resembling a broken fence. I was also pimple-infested, bad-smelling, skinny and frail, asthmatic, poor in math, accounting, grammar and writing. I was a total failure.

       Then God entered my life! The amazing Savior poured in His grace. He loved me and gave beautiful color to my rather boring, pale and dreary life.

       Now, I’m still vertically-challenged, yet I have a nearly-pointed-nose, expressive eyes and manly complexion. I have a fair-skinned face, am good-smelling, fit and sporty. I am an entrepreneur and investor, speak good English, an author of books, an international speaker, a visionary, have a great family life, and living a life of success and significance.

       Indeed, when you realize and see that it is the Son of God Himself who heals and redeems you, you will never be the same again. Obet Cabrillas (kpreacherobet@gmail.com)

Reflection: A grateful heart is a magnet of blessings. Start thanking God and get ready to be blessed.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. (Psalm 100:4)

St. Martin of Tours, bishop, pray for us.

Everyone will face exactly the same set of standards and be dealt with using the same love and mercy. God is not partial when He judges our actions. As we live the Gospel, we should love others equally. It is time for the Church to embrace all people — rich and poor, saint and sinner. The Gospel is inclusive of all and so is God’s love. Some may need to repent more than others, but this does not make them second-class citizens of heaven. God loves all people.

1 Hear, O kings, and understand; learn, you magistrates of the earth’s expanse! 2 Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it over throngs of peoples! 3 Because authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels. 4 Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly, and did not keep the law, nor walk according to the will of God, 5 terribly and swiftly shall he come against you, because judgment is stern for the exalted — 6 for the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test. 7 For the Lord of all shows no partiality, nor does he fear greatness, because he himself made the great as well as the small, and he provides for all alike; 8 but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends. 9 To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin. 10 For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy, and those learned in them will have ready a response. 11 Desire therefore my words; long for them and you shall be instructed.

R: Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.

3 Defend the lowly and the fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and the destitute. 4 Rescue the lowly and the poor; from the hand of the wicked deliver them. (R) 6 I said: “You are gods, all of you sons of the Most High; 7 yet like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” (R)

In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

11 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14 And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

think: We owe infinite gratitude to God for all that He has done for us.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 7-10

LIFE HAS NO REMOTE

I confess, just like many other cable subscribers, I have the habit of surfing from one channel to another, all 100 of them, unless I really like the program I’m watching. One lazy evening, while I was watching television, the channel button on my remote suddenly went dead. Thinking it probably was the batteries, I replaced it with fresh ones. Same result. The remote button got busted from overuse. And so I was forced to switch channels — manually.

       I remember being so irritated that evening at having to stand, manually push the channel button, lie back, stand again, and repeat the whole ritual. I got so used to getting the channels I wanted with a flick of a finger while reclining on my bed. For many, the remote control is one of man’s greatest inventions since the invention of the wheel. But I believe that same beloved remote control has spawned a generation of lazy and impatient individuals, me included.

       In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals 10 lepers of their malady. What caught my attention was Luke’s description of how the lepers wanted to be cured. They fought through the discriminating crowd who, by law, was justified to segregate them for being impure. As Jesus was entering the city, the lepers “met him” ( v. 12), “they called out in a loud voice” (v. 13). They did not wait for the cure to come to them and change their situation. They had to work for it. I think we can say that the lepers understood the principle, “Life has no remote, get up and change it yourself.” Jesus understood that, too. That is why He also met the lepers and rewarded their efforts. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what areas of your life do you manifest the “remote control” mentality?

You have blessed me with enough gifts and talents, O God. Help me know them and put them into use. Amen.