13th Sunday after Pentecost 26.8.12 Where are they?
The other nine, where are they? In Australia we have about ten per cent of Catholics who come to Mass every Sunday. That comes to one in ten, just like the Gospel story.
Why should we ‘come back’? To say ‘thank You’ to God. To express our joy. Gratitude is good manners and also good business.
If we thank Him we are more likely to get another blessing. This could sound cynical; but not if we understand that we need a continuous relationship with God; not just episode by episode; only when I have a problem.
I will come only when my life is falling apart otherwise why should I come? We don’t call a plumber unless there is something wrong.
God is not just a fix-it person. It is a covenant relationship (cf epistle) based on love and union. This is what saves us; that He unites us with Himself.
Thanksgiving is a regular part of the whole cycle of communication. It is also an essential part of receiving the whole range of gifts. We need to know what we are freed from.
He has removed my leprosy - my sin. He has restored me to wholeness, re-admitted me to the community. The more glad we are the less likely to reoffend.
The one leper who came back would be less likely to reoffend.
It is hard to stay grateful once the euphoria wears off.
We can simply forget what we have received. In trouble we might promise anything: Lord, if you get me out of this I will be good for six months.’ But once we are out of danger we go back to old ways.
We have to get past this stage and see that God is there for us all the time.
We need to see the spiritual life like a fish sees water. It needs to be our whole milieu, central to our lives, not just something we call on every now and then.
To look back in a long gaze and see where we have been. All of us here now have either come back from somewhere bad, or we have been here all along. In either case we can be grateful that we are here now.
The more deep-rooted the gratitude the less likely we will ever leave the protection of the Good Shepherd.
When we die He will know us as His own.
People often hold grudges against God, especially for the death of loved ones. This is the opposite of gratitude; we actually resent what He has done. If we have developed a strong covenant relationship with Him it will be easier for us to cope.
We do not make just knee-jerk reactions but develop a continuity of understanding. Thus we can ‘rejoice always’ and cultivate this ability. We may not be happy about the last thing that happened but we understand that everything comes to good sooner or later.
Either we get what we want, or if not, then something else good is coming.
The attitude is more important than what actually happens.
If something goes well we say God is good, but we should also say the same thing if something goes bad. God remains the same either way; it is just a matter of coming around to the good result.
His goodness is everywhere; it only needs us to recognize and bring it to light; and then live by that light.
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