Every Sunday

Reflection for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

All ten lepers were healed, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life,” (Jn 3:16) but not all ten returned, “Some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." (Mk 4:4-9)

Every human being is loved by God and Jesus went to the Cross for the whole world, and yet some stray. Some do not come back to offer praise. All of us have strayed in life and it is God’s grace that finally breaks through if we so want it to. The story of the ten lepers can be paralleled with Church attendance. I know for many I will be preaching to the choir, but I still think it necessary and good to remind all that we should strive to be that one leper who returned and not only returned once, but all the time.

The story of the seed is much like attending mass. Some come all the time, “they produce a hundred fold,” others come often, “producing thirty and sixty fold,” others come much less often and get caught up in the world, i.e. soccer tournaments, field hockey, baseball, weekend getaways, vacations, family reunions, rest, and a slew of other reasons (excuses). What we easily do as humans is that we make up the rules for God. For instance, “little Johnny has a soccer game, he can’t miss, his team needs him, and he has practice the night before so we can’t even make the evening vigil mass, God understands.”

There are two major problems with this type of reasoning, one) this one being less important, “really, an eight year old will make that much of a difference?" Are we talking about some important Division I college event or pee-wee soccer, and regardless of level of competition it should not make a difference. I usually use my Tim Tebow story here. Tim Tebow now plays for the Denver Broncos, he played his college career at Florida in Gainesville. He won two national championships, one Heisman, and runner up for two other years for that same trophy. He is probably the greatest or one of the greatest college football players ever and he never missed a Sunday service unless sick or injured. If little Johnny is better than Tim Tebow than by all means take him to practice. The second reason) and much more important, why would you ever deny yourself the Eucharist and prayerful union with your brothers and sisters who make up the Body of Christ?

Which seed do you want to be? Which of the lepers do you want to be? I know I probably won’t win many fans with this reflection, but as priests we are not here to win fans, but souls for Christ. Do I make myself out to be better than you, no indeed, for as far as sinners are concerned I feel like St. Paul, not that I am as holy as he was, but more like him in need of God’s mercy, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.” (1 Tim 1:15)

Therefore, since we are in the same boat, let us strive to be that one leper who came back to offer praise. Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday and "Every Sunday." Peace of Christ.

Fr. John P. Picinic

Bible Quotations taken from NAB

Image from http://www.pollencards.com/art/350507/Jesus_withe_the_one_leper_who_returned_to_give_thanks