Parable of the Ten Lepers
As I sat in mass this evening and heard today’s gospel of the Parable of the Ten Lepers from the gospel according to Luke proclaimed, I could not help but think about one of the first post I read on Facebook today written by a friend of mine, who is a priest in South Louisiana. He was commenting about how he had to celebrate mass in the dark at one of his masses and how “the town drunk” had come to another mass.
Earlier in the day when I read the Facebook post, the first thought that came to mind was, “I wonder what Jesus would have done if a town drunk would have come to one of his masses?” Yes Facebook can lead us to prayer. Where the Holy Spirit led me was amazing. I actually thought well the historical Jesus would not have celebrated mass like we do today, but what if an intoxicated person had shown up when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue as we know he did in Capernaum or when He was delivering the Sermon on the Mount? I was led to place myself in those scenes and use imaginative prayer in those two scenes. I imagined someone in a drunken state(in bondage from their addiction) entering both scenes. I begged Jesus for the grace to see the situation through His eyes, to feel what He felt, to understand as He understood and to love as He loved. I watched along with all the other people in the crowd as Jesus gently paused from his teachings and tenderly ministered to our drunken neighbor offering him to participate, They conversed in private, but I imagined Jesus welcoming him to stay but giving him boundaries by telling him that he could not be a disruption. I saw the drunk man transform before my eyes because Jesus had acknowledged him, invited him to participate in the teachings and shown him love and respect.
Then I asked myself how I would respond today at mass if a drunk came in and attempted to disrupt the service. I was really challenged because my first reaction was not to let anyone disrupt my/the sacred time especially the consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ during the Eucharistic Prayer. I also thought of how difficult someone in a drunken state could be to deal with. To avoid dealing with my own resistances, I found myself dwelling on how I would hope the priest would respond. This question stayed with me most of the day and through mass this evening. I pray often for the grace to have Jesus transform my heart to His and today was no exception. Today’s gospel proclamation was a great reminder to me of how leprosy in first century Palestine was such a horrible disease. Lepers were outcasts and rejected by society. They were sent away to live. They were rejected by family, friends, and strangers; but we know from today’s scripture as well as others in the gospels that Jesus healed the lepers and always sided with the outcasts, the marginalized, and the downtrodden.
As I sat and reflected on who are the lepers today in my world(those people who family, friends. and strangers often reject), what Jesus ultimately showed me was that if a drunk person appeared at a mass that I attended, I should somehow be hospitable and attempt to help the person feel welcomed, loved and respected whether or not anyone else acknowledged him. I had to acknowledge that I could not do this in my own strength, I begged the Lord for the grace to give me the strength and the courage to do His will in all circumstances.
How would you respond?……………………………
Let me hear from you in the comments or click the “like” button if this post speaks to you……
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“Taken from the The Hopeless Romantic: Falling in Love with God site of Patti Clement. www.patticlement.wordpress.com Used with Permission.”
The Hopeless Romantic: Falling in Love with God 
October 14, 2013 at 6:26 am
It’s interesting that you talk about this because for a while I was that drunk person living a life full of bondages, one of them alcohol. You reminded me of a time when I lived alone in an apartment, I spent my evenings after work drinking, including the weekends. I remember one time I had “ran” out of alcohol. I got up to go to the store, I know bad idea but at the moment I didn’t care, I felt a voice say “You don’t need that.” I didn’t leave that night. I just sat on my living Room couch, not knowing exactly what had happened or where that came from, I remembered I replied back saying “What do I need then.” I was so lost in my pain that Jesus literally came to my living room, or rather He was there the whole time to speak Truth to me, so although it wasn’t in the middle of mass I realize that it is the most messed up broken people that need it the most. My experience has helped me to be more compassionate and merciful towards people although many times my own self gets in the way, it is God’s grace that helps me every time.
Thank You for this post.
October 16, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Dear Cristina,
Thank you for sharing at such a deep level! I pray that God continue to bring you healing each time you feel a tendency to get in your own way.
I believe deeply that we are all broken in some way. One of my favorite spiritual writers, Fr. Henri Nouwen, writes so beautifully about becoming wounded healers in his book titled, The Wounded Healer. God wants to heal our brokenness, but in my own journey I often get caught up in thinking I have to fix my brokenness on my own. The freedom of letting it all go is amazing, but I still cling and don’t want to let God manage my life. I sometimes feel I inflict more pain on myself by dwelling in my mess than anyone else would ever inflict. I like to believe it really is part of our complicated human condition and only brings me to my knees in powerlessness and my need to rely fully on God.
Your comments really caused me to pause and ponder what is it that prevents me from helping others in need? What really holds me back? Is it pride? Is it fear of being taken advantage of as a single female? Is it busyness? Is my busyness a sense of thinking I am more important than I really am? One thing I know without a doubt is that when I am helping others I am closest to God and happy. Recently I began volunteering at the local St. Vincent De Paul’s Community Pharmacy(helping patients with no insurance and no means to purchase their medications). I have been a receptionist at the front desk and it brings me more joy helping those who come to that window than I ever experienced as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer in any of my previous paid positions. Isn’t that amazing? God has a way of gently revealing himself to us and presenting us with opportunities to be Him to others.
Thanks again for sharing! God Bless.
Peace and love,
Patti
October 19, 2013 at 4:58 pm
How would I respond?
Good question. Do you want me to be really honest? I guess my first inclination would be that I would say a quick prayer for him, then hope someone else would “take care of him”. I have spent a lot of time around people in recovery and have so much admiration and respect for people who are on that path. On the other hand, I’ve also been around people in active addiction and have learned that nothing is more important to them then that next drink. Addiction even has the power to entice a woman to choose it over her own children-that is scary stuff.
To make the question more challenging, I’d have to imagine them as a disruptive drunk since a smelly but quiet one would be easy to contend with. In fact, to make it more into “my” problem, I’ll have to imagine them walking into a presentation I’m giving on St. Francis of Assisi.
Wow, now that becomes hard to answer.
I’m torn between kicking them out so as not to accommodate/enable them and ditching the plan for the presentation to deal with them. When someone is in the state of intoxication, though, they can’t be reasoned with and whether they are weepy or violent, it is all because of the drink. With that in mind, I guess I’d kick them out. Wow, that is horrible and harsh sounding. Ideally, it would be done in a dignified way with the invitation to come back when they aren’t in the throes of possession by alcohol. Okay, that sounds unrealistic.
I guess I don’t know what I’d do. If they are beyond being calmed or consoled, I can do nothing for them in that moment. I recognize the limits of my power to deal with other people and I guess I’d have to get them out of there. I would not be able to go on with my presentation though (with my luck, it would be on St. Francis embracing the leper) so I hope I coudl lead a productive conversation with those present about what just happened with that man and how, in times like these, the rubber meets the road, so what does it mean to react as a Christian?
Looks like I need to pray on it for a day as you did to be able to embrace that drunk leper.
October 28, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Dear Julie,
Thanks so much for your candidness. This is a difficult situation for many of the reasons you mentioned.
I just hope and pray that I would be able to put aside my own needs and minister to them.
Hope you are well!
Peace,
Patti
October 27, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Jesus would welcom him with open arms
Rowena Hill
October 28, 2013 at 12:24 pm
Dear Rowena,
Thanks so much for your reply. I agree that Jesus would welcome him/her with open arms.
I pray that I would do the same in what I perceive to be a very difficult situation.
Peace of Christ,
Patti