28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
In the Gospel today, we hear about 10 people who are sick who ask Jesus for a gift. They ask Jesus for mercy.
Mercy is a gift, given to someone who cannot pay for it. Mercy is not something that is given because you did something special. Mercy is given just because the person who has it, wants to give it.
The 10 people ask Jesus for this gift, because they know Jesus has mercy, and they have faith in God. Remember what faith is, from last week? Being certain of God. Even a teeny tiny bit of faith is more than enough. Faith gives God room to act.
And God does act. Jesus heals the 10 people.
One of those 10 people, seeing that he is well again, 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.
This person does even more than say thank-you, though. 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.
What shall we say? How will you finish this prayer of praise?
God, you are...
We can 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.
