Many of us pick quarrels with others, even without realizing it. It can be as simple as a hawker or a restaurant getting our order wrong, or when a car cuts in our way of exiting the church, or having to repeat our orders over and over again. Or when asked for our contact information and we give it, but the person is not listening and keeps getting the numbers wrong.
It is very easy to get angry and show our tempers. But the Lord, in all His goodness, has been compassionate, and merciful towards us. For we did not deserve salvation, but because of His love for us, He gave it. Why can we not likewise exercise compassion and love for others just as the Lord our God loved us?
Let our thanksgiving be us emulating His mercy and love for others. We are thus showing gratefulness and thanking Him for all He has done for us. Amen.
Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop pray for us…
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First reading
Titus 3:1-7
It was purely by his own compassion that God saved us
Remind your people that it is their duty to be obedient to the officials and representatives of the government; to be ready to do good at every opportunity; not to go slandering other people or picking quarrels, but to be courteous and always polite to all kinds of people. Remember, there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries; we lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves.
But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.
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Gospel
Luke 17:11-19
No-one has come back to praise God, only this foreigner
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’
