Ad Jesum per Mariam

Discovering the Transformative Love of God

Discovering the Transformative Love of God In all circumstances, give thanks to the Lord. This timeless truth is exemplified in the story of a little boy who once asked a priest, “Am I going to meet God one day?” The priest confidently replied, “For sure, God will meet you one day.” A few years later, the boy was diagnosed with cancer, and doctors informed him he had only six months to live. Faced with this devastating news, the boy’s father expressed his sorrow, saying, “John, I’m so sorry to hear this.” But the boy replied, “Yes, it’s sad, but it could have been worse. I give thanks to the Lord.” Confused, the boy was asked, “What could have been worse?” The boy responded, “Living over 90 years without discovering the love of God. It’s better to live just 24 years, as I have, knowing that God loves me. It would have been a waste if I hadn’t discovered this love.” Two months later, the boy passed away, but with a heart full of gratitude and joy, having encountered the transformative love of God. Cleansed vs. Healed Today’s readings call us to gratitude, just as the story of the ten lepers in the Gospel teaches. All ten called out to Jesus, “Master, have pity on us,” and Jesus, moved with compassion, told them to show themselves to the priests. On their way, all ten were cleansed. However, only one—a Samaritan—returned to thank Jesus. Why did the others not return? Perhaps they were too overjoyed or took their healing for granted. The key distinction here is that all were cleansed externally, but the Samaritan realized he had been healed internally. Healing involves transformation, a deeper recognition of God’s presence and power in our lives. This story challenges us to reflect: how often do we take life’s blessings for granted? How often do we credit ourselves for our successes, failing to see God’s hand at work? Gratitude involves more than acknowledging the gift; it is about recognizing and cherishing the Giver. An Encounter with Christ is Transformative St. Paul reminds us that an encounter with Christ is transformative. Being touched by His love changes us, moving us from cleansing to healing, and from healing to glorifying God. Like the boy who discovered God’s love and the Samaritan who returned to Jesus, our lives can be transformed when we live with hearts full of gratitude and worship. Hear more within this Meditation Media. Listen to: Discovering the Transformative Love of God ------------------------------- Image: God the Father Painting: Italian Painter: Giovanni Battista Cima: 1510-1517 ------------------------------- Gospel Reading: Luke: 17: 11-19 First Reading: Ti 3: 1-7

Duration:: 17m
Broadcast on:: 20 Nov 2024
Audio Format:: other

The Lord be with you, and with your spirit. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. (Amen) As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samariah and Gari. As he entered a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, 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 retained to give thanks to God. Then he said to him, "Stand up and go. Your faith has saved you." The Gospel of the Lord. In all instances, give thanks to the Lord. In all instances, give thanks to the Lord. There was this little boy who posed a question to a priest, who said, "Father, am I going to meet God one day?" And then this priest said, "For sure, God is going to meet you one day." And then after a good number of years, two to three, this little boy was discovered that he had cancer. And the doctors had said he's going to live for not more than six months. So he was a little bit disappointed, a young man, and then he has not more than six months to live. And then the father came to him, said, "John, I hear that you have been diagonalized with blood cancer, and you don't have over six months to live. I'm a little sorry for that." And this little boy said, "Yes, but it would have been worse than that." I gave thanks to the Lord. Then the priest was a little bit confused, he said, "Okay, a young man. What would have been worse than that?" He said, "There is no use to live over 90 years, 8 or 90, without discovering the love of God. It's better to live 24 years, just as I am, but having discovered the love of God." It would have been worse if I had not discovered the love of God. So I thank God because I have discovered that God loves me. And after two months, the young boy died, but happily, because he discovered the love of God. And he thanked God, although in his situation. Our readings today are inviting us to be grateful, to be grateful for whatever God gives us. We hear of these ten lepers that are shouting in unison to our Lord Jesus Christ. Master, have pity on us. All of them tend. And Jesus indeed feels pity on them. He tells them, "Go and show yourselves to the priest, as a way of saying that you have been cleansed." And on their way, they all got cleansed. And then we hear that one of them, having realized that he has been healed, and is good to pay attention to the ways that are being used here. We hear that ten of them got cleansed. But one of them, having realized that he has been healed, being cleansed and being healed are two different things. Being cured and being healed are two different things. Cured, being cleansed is more outside, external. But healing involves the integral person. And healing comes with a little bit of observation. So this was one of them, a Samaritan, who reflected on what has happened. And then he realized that there is something greater than being cleansed here. I have been touched by Jesus. And it is this recognition of being healed that brings him back to Jesus. We hear that he retained to Jesus. Now we may wonder, why did the nine not pretend to Jesus? Maybe they were so overjoyous. They were so happy that they have been cleansed. Maybe they took it for granted, that we deserve it. But most importantly, they did not pay attention to what happened in their lives. They did not observe. They did not cherish what happened in their lives. Many are the times we take for granted the good things that happen in our lives. And many are the times we feel and think that we merit them. We feel and think that it is because of our own efforts. We feel and think that it is because of our own cleverness. It is because of our own hardworking that we have what we have. And because of that, we fail to be grateful. And because of that, we fail to recognize the hand of God in what happens in our lives. This one person observed and recognized that there is something greater than being cleansed here. I have been touched by Jesus. And it is this that brings him back to Jesus, and a good thing that happens to us. If we look at it with the eyes of gratitude, it brings us back to Jesus. We recognize that it is not because of our own hardworking. It is not because of our own cleverness. But God has helped us to achieve what we have achieved. And we hear that when he comes to Jesus, when he returns to Jesus, he glorifies God. And he worships him. There is a transformation here. Being cleansed, being healed, and then being healed to glorifying God and worshipping him. Anyone that has encountered Jesus, anyone that has felt the healing type of Jesus, their lives, are never the same. They are transformed. And this is what is sent Paul is saying in the first reading. That previously, we used to be people who were so envious, self-centered. But when Jesus saved us, when Jesus touched us, through the waters of baptism, we are transformed. We are people who are forgiving, and this has to be their call. Gratitude reads us to transformation. Gratitude leads us to transformation. And we hear towards the end of the gospel. Our Lord Jesus Christ asks, we are not 10 who were cleansed, and yet is only this Samaritan, and any of the Jews, that comes back to give thanks to God. And then he continues by saying, go, your faith has saved you. Being cleansed, being healed, being saved. Being cleansed, being healed, and being saved. The nine were cleansed, but they were never healed. The nine were cleansed, but they were never saved. This one was cleansed, healed. And Jesus says, he was saved. Gratitude leads us to integral healing, and it leads us to salvation. There was once a woman who had lost one tooth, and she was so worried, so worried. How will people be looking at me, having lost their tooth? I am no longer beautified as I used to be, and all that. So she was just complaining until she encountered another woman who lost three teeth. And then this woman was so happy, smiling, and all that. And then these are the women who had lost one tooth, asked her, said, what is your secret? You see, I have just lost one, but I'm bored that I don't look as I used to look. I used to be so beautiful. But now I'm even afraid to laugh, because a few that people are going to laugh at me. And then this woman, who lost three, said, but you know, you're only focusing on what you don't have. You're forgetting what you have, and that is making you so desperate. And that is taking me away from even being grateful to God for what you have. Your focus is on what you don't have. Many times we fail to be grateful to God, because we focus much on what we don't have, than what we have. And because of that, we fail to have peace of mind. Because of that, we even end up accusing God. But yet, God instead is doing a lot of good things. There's just one thing that is missing in our lives, being grateful, leads us, being healed. And finally, we, our prayers, most of the times, are thanking God for whatever He has done in our lives. And we realize that there is a lot that God is doing in our lives. And that transforms our life to saving others. That's why, today, as we celebrate the memory of St. Francis Xavier Cabrin. This was a woman whose name was Francisca. But she chose Francisca Xavier because of the spirituality that St. Francis Xavier had. She was born on 15th of July, 1850. And she had some problems at her birth. She was born prematurely, so small, and so weak. And after the death of her parents in 1870, when she was 20 years old, she applied to join the congregation of the daughters of the sacred heart. But when they looked at her and how frail her health was, they refused her. Said, you can't make it, because you're so weak. Your health won't take you. But in her situation, she was never desperate. She looked at God and thanked God for whatever she had. So instead of joining them, the daughters of the sacred heart, she became a headmistress. She none of the schools. And she started helping people. But still, she felt this call of saving God. And together with other six women, they founded a congregation, which they named missionaries of the sisters of sacred heart. And their aim was to save the poor. At a time, she went to Rome to ask the Pope so that they can extend their congregation to China. But the Pope told her, no, go back to America and save the Italian immigrants that are going there. Shobed came back and saved them faithfully. They established a lot of hospitals in service. Gratitude for whatever we have leads us to transformed life. May God help us. He has given us a lot in our lives. Doesn't mean that we don't have problems. They are there. But what he has given us is more than the problems that we have. May we be grateful so that we live, peaceful and healed life, and finally receive salvation. Which comes with our Lord Jesus Christ.