Holy Metropolis of Kythera - The Sunday Message (21-1-2024)

WRITTEN TH. KIRYGMA

Rarely, my fellow Christians, did our Lord perform miracles without testing the faith of those who benefited from them. Thus, at times we see Him seemingly refusing to heal, at other times pretending not to hear the one crying out for help, or persistently asking whether the sick person wants to be healed. But as we heard today in the story of the ten lepers, Jesus did not ask for ’proof« of their faith, but from a distance—since leprosy was a contagious disease— and without further ado, as soon as they asked for help, he sent them straight to the priests so that they might verify, as was customary in such cases, their healing. And as they were going, they were cleansed, as the evangelist says.

We do not know whether the lepers who were healed benefited spiritually after their physical healing. We have, however, come to understand what God expects from the person who has been blessed. And we saw this in the attitude of one of the ten lepers—the foreigner, the “schismatic” Samaritan. He alone returned to thank his benefactor. And of course, the Lord, filled with bitterness and complaint, wondered: «Weren’t all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?».

God, my fellow Christians, bestows His blessings upon humanity every day. The gratitude that man owes to God is not reflected in gifts and offerings to Him, because, according to St. Chrysostom, «Thanksgiving adds nothing to Him (God), but it makes us closer to Him». The Samaritan in today's reading did not bring gifts to Jesus, but he approached Him with humility and sincerity, and became His friend. This is what God desires as gratitude: that we long for a life close to Him, which means a life of humility, with repentance, with sincerity, with love, with participation in Sunday worship and the reception of His Body and Blood.

If we wish to thank our Benefactor, let us strive to live such a life. AMEN.

Rev. Pan. Megalokonomos