1. Sin vs. Virtue.
Isaiah describes sin as ingratitude. St. Paul describes virtues as ‘always giving thanks to God,’ i.e, gratitude. Sin is an act of injustice; while virtue is an act of justice. With the ‘year of mercy’ there has been a neglect on justice.
Justice, being one of the four cardinal virtues, if neglected puts the rest of the moral virtues in danger.
2. The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The Gospel speaks of the virtue of gratitude. Ten lepers prayed to Christ. All the ten were cured but only one returned to show gratitude. And Christ said; ‘Your Faith has been your salvation.’ We have here a short formula for salvation! Let us watch this Samaritan.
What did the Samaritan do which the other nine did not do? First, they were all lepers. Leprosy is a symbol of sin. It is a symbol of the inner disease of the soul that is expressed outwardly in the form of leprosy. All ten lepers admitted that they were sinners as shown by their leprosy. The nine believed they were sinners but did not show gratitude after being cured. The Samaritan knew he was a sinner. But when cured returned to Christ to show gratitude.
While the nine admitted they are sinners, they stopped there. When cured they did not repent nor returned to Christ to show gratitude. The Samaritan admitted he was a sinner; when cured, he begins to repent for his sins. The other nine did not. How do we know the Samaritan begun to repent?
Secondly. Because realising that he was a sinner he felt that he did not deserve the cure God had given him. His realisation that he was a sinner enabled him to understand the doctrine of Divine Providence which is the beginning of Faith. Divine Providence taught him that his cure comes from God and given to him for his physical and spiritual welfare. And as such, all those things must be used according to God’s Will and not according to his own will.
There are two thoughts that stand side by side in his mind; one, the sinful state of his soul. And secondly, his cure through the Providence of God. These two thoughts must be in his mind side by side; his sinfulness (shown by his leprosy) and his cure provided by the Providence of God.
Thirdly. This makes the mind make a judgment of one’s unworthiness for the favour. This is humility, the fruit of his repentance which he did in steps one and two. This judgment blooms into the virtue of gratitude.
Understanding the doctrine of Divine Providence is the beginning of the Samaritan’s Faith. His gratitude is the continuation of the growth of his Faith. So briefly again. First; the Samaritan admits he is a sinner due to his leprosy. Secondly, he realises the doctrine of Divine Providence. Thirdly, he becomes grateful to God in providing for him inspite of his being a sinner.
Fourth. Because his Faith was growing, as shown by his gratitude, he worships Christ by throwing himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises.
Fifth. With this last act of worship, Christ declares that ‘his Faith had been his salvation.
Note that the step before his salvation was declared by Christ was his act of gratitude. This is why St. Paul wrote that ‘always giving thanks to God’ was a sign of holiness that merits salvation.
3. Eucharist.
Thus ‘thanksgiving’ is the highest form of prayer and this we find in the Mass so called Holy Eucharist which means ‘thanksgiving.’ Celebrating and devoutly hearing Mass consist in going through those five steps that the Samaritan leper did. The Mass starts with an act of thinking of one’s sin; goes through the ‘Kyrie eleison,’ the very words the leper said. Then it proceeds to an act of thanksgiving. This is the prelude to meriting salvation since ‘always giving thanks to God’ is the prelude to salvation.
4. Common false beliefs during this papacy of Pope Francis.
First. An erroneous belief is that some of our sins are not sins at all; like leaving one’s spouse and children. That attraction to the same sex is not a sin. That believing in other religions is not a sin. That to be a Protestant is not a sin.
People do not believe they have an illness worse than leprosy and that is interior leprosy. So they do not go to Christ to ask for mercy, which is the first step that the Samaritan took.
Second. The next error is not believing in the doctrine of Divine Providence; that all things come from God and they are given to us for the salvation of our souls. A spouse and the children are given to us for the salvation of our soul and for the salvation of our spouses and children. By saving our souls we love God; and by helping saved our spouses and children we love our neighbor. Add to this erroneous belief is the belief that there are certain things that come to us by our human labor and are not part of God’s Providence. Some believe that they got their families through their own efforts and, therefore, can be disposed as they want through divorce and remarrying. This will follow because of one’s denial of his being a spiritual leper and the disbelief in the Providence of God.
Third. Due to the inability to accepts one’s sinfulness, due to the inability to believe in Divine Providence, the Catholics, during this Papacy of Pope Francis are unable to make a just judgment that will make them grateful for God’s Providence.
Fourth. Unable to show gratitude, they will not return to Christ and worship God.
Fifth. Unable to show gratitude and worship God as a result, the Catholics of Pope Francis cannot attain salvation.
5. Pope Francis’ mercy.
The ten lepers believed they were sinners and went to Christ and shouted; ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us.’ Pope Francis’ catholic adulterers and remarried do not believe they are sinners who must not receive Holy Communion. The gays feel their perversion is normal, so they will not call ‘have pity on us.’
These are people who will never reach the second, third, fourth and fifth steps. Because they will never believe they are sinners, they will never believe that all things are coming from God’s Providence. They will never show gratitude. And they will never worship God. Thus, they will not hear the words of Christ; ‘your faith has been your salvation.’
6. The ‘Year for Mercy’ participants will not be saved.
Those who are desirous of mercy are not like the Samaritan leper who returned and showed gratitude; they are neither the nine that believed they were lepers but did not show gratitude. Yet God showed them mercy by curing them. Why did God have mercy on them? Because they believed they were lepers and called on Christ.
Many participants in the ‘year of mercy’ will not receive the mercy they expect because they do not believe they are lepers.