Thank you.

     In this weeks reading Jesus performs another miracle and heals 10 men. As Jesus entered a village on of the men called out to Jesus and asked that he help them. They were leper’s and considered outcasts of the village. Jesus simply told the men to go see a priest and as they walked away each one them was healed. One of the men came back to thank Jesus for what he done. That man was from Samaria.

      This reading is just another example of how Jesus loves all people. Regardless of what the world said Jesus did what was right. At that time Leper’s were considered the undesirable people. They are sick, terrible looking and contagious which meant nobody wanted them around. Well, Jesus seems to have a thing for those people. Jesus tends to find away to let the undesirables know that they can be loved and they are worthy of Gods Grace. I feel like throughout his life Jesus let’s us know that there isn’t a medical condition too life threatening , a physical appearance too scary, or a position in life that is too low for Gods Grace. I find tremendous comfort knowing this. 

       In my life there have been many occasions when I have felt undeserving of Gods Love. There have been occasions when I thought that I was too far gone for even God to love me. Times when I thought had done too much wrong or been away from the church so long that maybe I was out of touch with God. It’s strange but if you tell yourself something long enough you start to believe it. You start to believe that maybe God doesn’t love all of us and there is a chosen few who get the all the blessings and some of us just don’t. Some of us just get a life that is filled with dark times followed by more dark times. Luckily, I know better now that I have matured as a Catholic. That still doesn’t mean life will not challenge you. I don’t care who you are, life will throw you some curve balls and that is when you will find out where you stand with the Lord. That is when you will see what level of belief you really have. I’ve had my fair share of dark times and, throughout those dark times I do one thing. I have faith. Faith that Jesus wasn’t just healing leper’s and performing miracles to show his worth. He was making a statement to me and to everyone who has ever felt undesirable at some low point in life. That statement is I love you. Maybe those 10 men that he healed represent the men of the world that need to know that they are worthy of Gods love, no matter what. No matter what they have done in the past God loves you. No matter what your current condition is, God loves you and if you have faith he can take your life and turn it around. Turn it around like the leper who turned around to thank Jesus for healing him. Out of 10 healed leper’s the only 1 returned to say thank you. Have you thanked God recently? Have you thought about all of the times that God has healed you? Have you thought about all of the times that you felt undeserving of Gods Love. Have you thought about those moments in your life God showed up. That wasn’t an accident. That was God’s Grace. God has been with you whether you feel like you deserve it or not. There is nothing you can or can not do to deserve Gods Love. So remember even when you think he isn’t with you... he is. Try to make it a daily practice to say thank you. 

Thank you for the Grace of God.