Loud in Gratitude!

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Ti 3:1-7; Lk 17:11-19

Today’s Gospel highlights loudness as a mantra of discipleship. 

The passage on the healing of the ten lepers shows only the Samaritan returning to thank Jesus. 

When Jesus asks, ‘Ten were cleansed, were they not?’ it looks as if others who did not return to Jesus in gratitude were not cleansed at all. 

I believe we should learn from the Samaritan’s gratitude instead of grumbling at the ingratitude of the nine others. 

The Gospel passage describes ‘loudness’ twice: when the ten raise their voices begging the mercy of Jesus and when the Samaritan glorifies God in a loud voice. 

Here, the high tone of their voices is key to understanding the profound message of the Gospel. 

When the ten of them wanted to be healed by Jesus, they did not hesitate to raise their voices. 

When they appealed to Jesus for help, they could easily overcome their inhibition, shame, and assumption. 

But when the healing takes place and the moment comes for them to acknowledge the healing, they go into hiding. As a result, the scene that was dominated by loudness is now ruled by silence. 

Their ingratitude is so surprising that the disappointed Jesus has to ask, ‘Were the ten not healed?’

But the Samaritan overcomes the attitudinal barriers and praises the Lord in a loud voice. He turns the inhibition, shame, and assumption that condition the response of the other nine lepers into spontaneity, praise, and gratitude. 

With regard to the nine others, loudness indicated only their faith, but with the Samaritan, loudness indicates his faith that is grateful too. 

The Samaritan seems to be saying loudly, ‘If you are loud with your appeal, be loud about your healing from the Lord too.’

The attitude of the grateful Samaritan presents loudness as a helpful mantra of discipleship.  

Let us pray that we may make manifest the healing grace of God by proclaiming it loudly, just as the Samaritan did. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar