Greetings, SBT Readers!

Today's readings demonstrate God's compassion for society's "untouchables"-- in this case, people with leprosy; moreover, both the First Reading and the Gospel reflect God's concern for foreigners. In the First Reading, Naaman, the military commander of the King of Aram, journeys to Israel in search of healing; there, the prophet Elisha heals him of his leprosy. This experience is so transformational that Naaman comes to believe "that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel" (2 Kgs 5:15). Since he has to return to his own land, he makes a surprising request: "Please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth" (2 Kgs 5:17). Now that his heart belongs to the God of Israel, he will take a piece of Israel with him, so that he can erect an altar to the Holy One on sacred soil. But something still disturbs him. Before taking his leave, he confesses to Elisha that, as the King of Aram's adjunct, he will be obliged to offer public worship in the temple of the chief Aramean god, Rimmon. To Namaan's great joy, Elisha assures him of God's mercy, telling him to go in peace....

I find this narrative profoundly moving. Emerging from the River Jordan, Namaan, the mighty commander, resembles a little child; moreover, the healing power of God touches his soul, awakening belief. Humbled and filled with gratitude, he tries to present Elisha with a gift, but when Elisha refuses to accept it, he vows to worship God and God alone.



As a foreigner afflicted with a dreaded disease, Namaan is fortunate to have an endorsement letter from the King of Aramea, a large entourage, and impressive financial resources; as such, he is guaranteed a royal welcome. How different his situation is from that of "foreigners" who cross borders without documentation in search of a better life! Many arrive at their destinations with little but the clothes on their backs, having endured unimaginable hardships, including lack of food and water, physical abuse, exploitation, illness, and the loss of loved ones along the way. If they make it to the new land, they face unimagined hurdles as they attempt to build new lives, often struggling to find housing, employment, health care, and schooling for their children. In many cases, they experience hatred, discrimination, and draconian laws. While Namaan departed from Israel with two mule-loads of earth, many of those who seek refuge in foreign lands end up longing for the soil they have left behind -- a soil that is warm, familiar, and welcoming...

Many Blessings!

Elizabeth

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LINK TO SCRIPTURE READINGS

Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,

traveling through Samaria and Galilee.

As he entered a village, ten lepers met him.

Standing at a distance, they raised their voices, saying,

"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"

When he saw them, he said,

"Go show yourselves to the priests."

As they were going, they were cleansed.

One of them, realizing he had been healed,

returned, and glorifying God in a loud voice,

he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.

Jesus replied, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has only this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"

Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." Lk 17:11-19

Unlike most people who are professionally active, I have not migrated my calendar to my smartphone —nor do I intend to. For decades, a large-format weekly/ monthly planner has helped keep me organized (mostly). More recently, I started using Day Designer's "Strategic Planner and Daily Agenda for Living a Well-Designed Life." Twice the size of my Staples planner, this volume not only itemizes my schedule in 30-minute increments but also prioritizes the day's top three tasks, offers a daily "to-do" list, and provides space for notes. Best of all, it has a gratitude corner. Occupying a mere 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" space, this feature helps me reflect on each day's events, activities, and encounters, and to name in very abbreviated form, all that I am grateful for. Thinking over each day is a great way to clear my mind, disconnect from the news, and ponder how amazing each day can be, even when it brings challenges and heartache.

Gratitude is foundational to the spiritual life. It reminds us that God is the source of every blessing and that it is only through God's amazing grace that we are able to transcend the difficulties that present themselves. All that we have and all that we are may seem to come from our efforts, but when we SEE how God sustains us, protects us, and gifts us with wisdom, talents, and resources, then we, like Naaman and the grateful Samaritan, are filled with awe and wonder. Experiences such as these not only tame our egos and any temptation towards self-deification, but they also connect us to God's infinite love, mercy, and compassion.

In Luke's narrative of The Cleansing of Ten Lepers (Lk 17:11-19), Jesus is perplexed: "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?" The one person who returns to give thanks is a Samaritan, someone his Jewish contemporaries regard as ethnically and religiously unclean. This man alone "glorifies God in a loud voice," while the other nine return to their former lives without a prayer on their lips. The "foreigner" responds to his healing as a child of God; in contrast, the nine who are supposedly ethnically and religiously superior feel entitled. Ironically, it is the Samaritan whom Jesus commends for his faith, not the nine "true believers." As in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus' encounter with the ten people suffering from leprosy shows that the person who is truly righteous and genuinely religious is the foreigner in their midst.

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