(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel to your child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection, then read the Gospel, then continue with the reflection.)
In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about ten people who are sick who ask Jesus for a gift. We have to listen carefully to hear what they want from him.
As Jesus entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
The ten sick people do not ask for medicine. The ten sick people ask Jesus for mercy. What is mercy?
Mercy is a gift, given to someone who cannot pay for it. We do not have to do something special to receive mercy. Mercy is a gift that we receive just because the person who has it, wants to give it.
Why do those ten people ask Jesus for mercy? What do those ten people know?
The ten people ask Jesus for this gift because they know Jesus has mercy.
The ten people ask Jesus for this gift because they know Jesus wants to give mercy.
The ten people ask Jesus for this gift because they have faith in God.
Remember faith? We heard about faith last week. Faith is being certain of God.
The ten people are certain that Jesus can give them mercy.
Even a teeny tiny bit of faith is more than enough.
Faith gives God room to do something.
When Jesus saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.
God does something alright! Jesus heals the ten people. They are not sick anymore.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.
What is this person doing? When he sees that he is well again, he begins to praise God. He lies down at Jesus' feet, and thanks Jesus.
When someone gives us a gift, what do we do? Of course! We say thank-you.
But this person does even more than say thank-you. He praises God.
What does this mean?
In a loud voice he begins to say how good God is, how great God is.
In his joy, he begins to tell the world of the great things that God has done.
We can do that, too.
We can tell God how good God is.
We can tell God how great God is!
What shall we say?
In our joy, how might we finish this prayer of praise?
God, you are...
We can also offer our prayers of praise to God by saying or singing or signing "Alleluia!"
"Alleluia" is a word God has given us to say in our joy.
It is a way of praising God.
