Today’s gospel account about ten lepers falls at nearly the same time which we celebrate St. Francis of Assisi (4 October). St. Francis is known to have written a testament near the end of his life to his friars that spoke of the process of his conversion and transformation of life. In this testament he is said to have written that lepers “repulsed him and he shrank from looking at them much less touch them…but the Lord led me in to their midst.” God brought Francis into relationship with the lepers who were outcasts in his medieval society. People did not speak or interact with them, and as such they were ostracized from society and lived outside the community.

In the time of Jesus the lepers were also banned from the community; in fact, it was ritualistically impure to be near them no less touch them. Jesus breaks the boundaries of culture and religion to heal them—but not only to heal them physically but also bring healing of faith. As Christ healed the lepers and transformed Francis, He also desires to heal us and transform us into disciples that step outside the com-fort of our cultural boundaries, our religious bounda-ries and those of society to bring healing and oneness to others.

In this gospel account, out of the 10 lepers who Jesus healed only one—a foreigner and one who was shunned by society and the people of Israel, a Samaritan comes back to give thanks and praise to Jesus for God’s goodness. As we listen to—and ponder—the Gospel for this week—and try to understand how we can apply this account to our lives today, we must ask these questions:

1. How are we estranged from the Kingdom of God and from Christ—what separates us from Him?

2. Whom do we shun, due to cultural conditions – race, religion, ethnicity or social status?

3. Do we trust in the power of the Kingdom at work so as to be led into the midst of our own culture’s conflicts and conditions and become part of God’s healing at work?

A few weeks ago our Youth Ministry members outlined their “Piece of the Peace” motto for the year with puzzle pieces hung over the sanctuary outlining many of the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy they will complete so that they can enter into the midst of our modern culture and help, with God’s grace, to heal the world around us. Their healing will take place locally right here in Simsbury and greater Hartford as well in Uganda and Delaware and beyond. It can be made manifest in the small gestures of life such as lighting a candle and praying for someone in need or in the larger scale by rehabbing a home, in raking leaves for a neighbor, in feeding the hungry or in visiting the lonely. Whatever piece we decide to be, we can make someone’s life be touched by the compassion of Christ.

As we contemplate our role in working on God’s “puzzle” for the common good and ask which part we shall play, perhaps we can consider the above mentioned questions and see just what are the stum-bling blocks or obstacles to growing our faith as we ourselves grow more deeply into the image and like-ness of our God. For in the end of today’s gospel Jesus is able to confirm two things: the bodily healing of the Samaritan leper as well as his faith healing. And when our faith—lived out—is confirmed, we shall shine like the light of Christ—and light the path for others to follow. In this, we please the Lord our God, for we not only build up the Kingdom on earth but we also in-crease the Communion of Saints—and prepare eternal life for another to choose. Then He shall say to us as He said to the leper, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”