Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Today’s feast day of St. Martin of Tours takes us back to the early fourth century when the enthusiasm for the faith seemed to be powerfully alive and heroic. Tradition has extolled St. Martin as someone who, already as a catechumen, loved Christ in the poor to the extent of sharing half of his military cloak with a beggar. In a subsequent dream, Jesus identified himself to Martin as the beggar. Yes, the ancient saints can continue to challenge us today!
All the saints can teach us about “Seeing is believing.” Our spiritual journey with Jesus in so many ways comes down to learning to truly see in order to believe, or perhaps some would argue, we believe and therefore we see.
Our Gospel today is a prime example of choosing to see in greater depth. Ten lepers received a life-changing miracle from Jesus, but only one, a Samaritan, makes a “U” turn to give thanks to Jesus. This is usually understood to mean a lesson about gratitude. But a closer look at the actual wording reveals that the nine saw that they were “cleansed” and went off to be certified as clean, whereas the lone Samaritan saw that he was “healed” and returned to the source of his healing and perhaps a life of deep, ongoing faith.
Each of us can join the ranks of those having been healed, perhaps many times, but are we willing to stop and ponder the healing and the responsibilities that flow from it?
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections