Holy Spirit, help me turn back to give thanks to God…

 
Wisdom 7:22 – 8:1 & Luke 17:11-19
 
It is a counter-cultural activity to give thanks to God and so to embrace the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit ! It seems that in Jesus’ day only about 10 per cent of the people he healed (based on the one out of 10 lepers!) took the time from their busy self-centred lives, to ‘turn back’ to Jesus, or even notice, the healing that had been the result of their encounter with him.  These days the statistics seem to be closer to .001 percent! No matter how brief, each encounter with the Christ Jesus tunes our beings to his ‘frequency’, and heals our brokenness. But each of us, like the Samaritan leper, needs to take time to reflect on Christ’s impact on our lives in those moments, and to turn back to the Lord with thankfulness and humility  to complete the full circle of healing, started by an encounter with the Lord. It is probable that the other nine lepers continued on with their lives, rejoicing in their reinstatement into society for a time, and then settling into the doldrums and pitfalls of day to day life.  On the other hand,  by taking time to return to Jesus and ground his healing in a one on one, face to face session of thanksgiving, the Samaritan leper took forward into his life, not only the healing of his body and the reinstatement of acceptance into society, but his life-changing encounter with the Healer of souls. Perhaps until the end of his days he proclaimed the Good News of Jesus’ healing and salvation to all who would hear. Will I take time to return to the Lord to receive the blessings of gratitude and the added blessing of being in intimate relationship with Christ Jesus, who is Wisdom (her)self?   Holy Spirit, help me turn back to give thanks to God.  
 
By your appointment the things of earth stand today, for they are your servants.  The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.  (Psalm 119)
 
Only one thing is necessary: that is to do at every moment what is most pleasing to Jesus.  
St. Charles de Foucauld
 
Listen to Healer of our Every Ill  by Marty Haugen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv4CI0wd1Oo
 
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
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