Response to God's Mercy

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Year II and the Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, November 11th, 2020

Texts: Titus 3:1-7; Ps. 23:1-6; Luke 17:11-19

We know how grateful and obedient we could be to one who might have given us unmerited gift. Such an unmerited kind gesture could win our our obedience and subservience. God has made us to respond in such manner so that we may respond to his mercy for our good.

Today's Readings challenge our response to God's mercy; they call us to respond to his mercy appropriately.   The ten lepers, in today's gospel reading, cried for God's mercy and Jesus Christ granted them their request: they were cleansed of their leprosy. However, only one of them, a foreigner, who came back to praise God. St. Paul, in the first reading, also reminds us of the action of God's mercy in our lives when he says, "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another; but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour".

Today's Readings remind us that the mercy of God is the cause of our salvation. We received the mercy of God when we were helpless and in a bad state and also having no good  record as to have deserved being saved by God from the bad state. Hence, St. Paul says, "he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy". If we already have good deeds, it means we have been saved already: No good deeds without salvation. Good deeds are response to God's mercy.

Both first and the gospel readings show that mercy is an unmerited intervention of God in human life. 

The readings bid us to return God's mercy with adoration and with life of good deeds. The gospel reading bids us to return God's mercy with adoration, for it is said of the leper thus: "Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks." He worshipped God and blessed his name for his mercy. 

The first reading invites us to return God's mercy with life of good deeds. St. Paul reminds us that we are to be good to one another because God has shown us mercy. This means we are to be good to others not because they deserve it, but as an act of mercy to them. God does not need our mercy or help, he wants us to show it to those who need it, our brothers and sisters, not minding their status or position. He invites us to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy towards all men.

God's mercy has saved us all; he showed us mercy not for his own good, but for our own good. Let us return this unmerited gesture with adoration of him and with life abound in good deeds.

Lord our God, we thank you for your mercy and pray that may you help us with your grace to respond to your mercy with adoration and life abound in good works. Amen.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke.