To give thanks to God

“As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, 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?’” (LK 17: 14-18) 

When Our Lord was asked “to have pity on them,” He sent them to the priests: “Go show yourselves to the priests.” How many times He touched people, prayed on them, or just ordered the sickness to disappear, but in this particular situation, He sent them to the priests, and “as they were going they were cleansed.” Our Lord asked them to trust the word. When we follow the word, we can expect miracles. When we ask, He answers, but we shouldn’t forget “returned to give thanks to God.” “This is the will of God” and a sign of our maturity.

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