Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
God’s love is overwhelming and generous. Even “reckless,” as the contemporary song, “Reckless Love,” so beautifully says. We say this with our words, and yet I wonder if we let it sink into our hearts. Do we let God’s overwhelming and generous love live in our bodies with overflowing joy?
Paul reminds us that God’s kindness and generous love are not earned; they are freely given to you and to me. On our good days, we might remember this. Too often, though, we quickly admonish ourselves and others to do good works. It is true that we are called to share the wide and abundant love of God with others. However, God does not intend that this is another item on our ‘to do’ list, and certainly we do not earn God’s love by baking a casserole for our struggling neighbor, giving money to our local St. Vincent de Paul, or praying at the detention center…” Yes, all of these are important ways to live our faith, but it starts with the fact that we have been loved by God with a generous love. The more we let this love sink into our hearts, the more it will overflow in the actions of our bodies.
The lepers in today’s gospel share our deepest need with Christ, and God meets them and us there. Notice that good deeds are not required for God’s healing and salvation. There are no rules required for God’s healing, simply a humble heart calling out for love. When I read this passage with fresh eyes, I notice that the one person who comes back to thank Jesus is not following what Jesus told him to do! Jesus clearly tells all ten to go to the chief priests.
With fresh eyes, I don’t hear Jesus chastising the nine who followed directions. Instead, I see Jesus laughing, a generous, full-bodied, joyful laugh that rejoices with the one who was so overwhelmed by God’s love that he couldn’t wait to say thank you. He forgot the instructions and lived in the joy of gratitude. I suspect the others eventually did the same. All ten were healed. All ten experienced the kindness and generosity of God’s unearned love.
Today, perhaps instead of jumping to look for what we are called to do with our faith, we could focus on where we might find joy. Perhaps we could relish in little moments of God’s love so generously given - the unexpected kindness of a stranger, the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, a simple ‘thank you’ from a friend, food on our table. Today, what if we just relish God’s love and let it well up in us? It will certainly overflow, but let that not be a task for today.
-Kelly Adamson