“As they were going [the lepers] were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” – Luke 17:14-15
One of the results of Original Sin is that each and every person is in need of healing in some way, be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Some theologians call Original Sin the “Original Wound.” St. Thomas Aquinas taught that “weakness, ignorance, malice and concupiscence…are the four wounds inflicted on the whole of human nature as a result of our first parent’s sin” (STA, I-II, Q. 85, A. 3). When we look at the world and consider its brokenness, we can point back to this initial rupture in our relationship with the Lord, each other, and creation itself. Both our first reading (2 Kings 5:14-17) our Gospel passage (Luke 17:11-19) this Sunday refer to healing of leprosy. Leprosy was a disease that represented almost a complete wound. Those with this disease were shunned from the community, were ritually unclean and so were not allowed to worship in the temple, and were nearly always doomed to a horrific death. You can imagine the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wounding that these people experienced. Only God could heal all these wounds.
Notice what Naaman in the first reading and the one leper who went back to the Lord in thanksgiving had in common: they both were completely healed and wanted to worship and praise God because they were healed. In the Gospel, the man “fell at his feet,” which is a form of worship, and he “glorified God in a loud voice,” which is the definition of praise (Luke 17:15). The Jewish people believed that the only place to worship God rightly was at the temple, so Naaman took soil from Jerusalem home with him in order to offer right worship and praise to God on this holy ground (2 Kings 5:17). Notice this detail: Naaman’s “flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14). The Original Wound, represented by the leprosy, was reversed and he was restored to his true identity as a child of God.
“I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.” – Psalm 30:1-3
This week, consider taking some dedicated time to ask God what wound He would like to heal in you next. Take heart and do not be afraid to ask for healing: our Lord is the Divine Physician. He is always gentle with us and will move at the pace ideal for your healing. (That means sometimes He moves very quickly or sometimes very slowly. His timing is always perfect.) Ask Him what the next step is and then listen and be obedient to His word. You can also take stock of the various ways He has healed your heart, mind, and body over the years. Let your past healing be a cause for thankful praise of Him. It will give you strength and confidence for the next healing He has in store for you.
Jesus, I believe and profess that You have healed me from many of my wounds. “I will praise you Lord, for you have rescued me!” (Psalm 30:1).