When I first read through today’s gospel from Luke, my initial reaction was one that focused on Jesus and his work to heal those who needed healing, and especially those who seem to have the faith to ask for it. So, my initial take-away was my usual, “if you need help, pray to God and ask for it – and then be thankful,” type of conclusion. But as I sat with this reading for a bit, my thoughts kept coming back to the nine who were healed but didn’t go back to give thanks.

Again, my initial reaction to the non-action of the nine was pretty superficial. It centered on frustration and maybe even a little anger as to why they seemed to be so ungrateful for the healing they received. But there seems to be another message that I should be paying attention to in this reading.

If I put myself in their shoes – what would I have done if I were one of the nine? Would I have gone back to Jesus? Would I have followed his orders to show myself to the priests – and then what? Would I have just gone on my way and done neither? Would I have experienced some type of group-pressure to not go back to Jesus and to stay within the safety net of the group for some other reason? To be honest, I’m not sure what I would have done. But it has made me think about this in my own life.

One particular question comes to mind as I think about how I act in situations where I want something is, “what are my true intentions?” And in the context of this gospel reading, I wonder what the intentions were of the nine who asked to be healed but didn’t go back to show their gratitude? Because they were physically ill, they probably wanted relief from their physical pain. And, because of the kind of illness they had (that being one that is socially unacceptable) they were probably also looking for relief from their social pains as well. But were their intentions only to find personal relief? In other words, did they ask to be healed with only their personal interests in mind so they could move on to other personal interests?

Being healed of leprosy would most certainty be a life changing experience that would allow for a more “normal” life rather than being an outcast of society. But, being healed would also make room for a greater depth dimension to life as well. It would allow the person being healed to be social again with others and contribute to the community in ways they were not able to while having the illness – something that is outside of and larger than themselves. Being healed not only would give them relief from their personal pain, but also allow them to be part of the whole again, which is important and necessary for every member of the community, not just those being healed.

From this perspective, it makes me think of what my intentions are when I am longing for something. Am I only thinking about my own superficial and personal needs, or does this longing have greater depth? If I get what I want, can I use that gift to transcend to something larger than myself and that which recognizes my place within the whole for the good of not only me, but the whole as well?

If I look to specific examples in my life, this further makes me think more specifically about my intentions for my longing to attend mass and to receive the Eucharist. Is my intention to somehow earn points towards my own personal salvation project (honestly – I think sometimes the answer is yes). Or, is there a deeper aspect to my longing, one that transcends beyond my personal and seemingly superficial needs? Does my participation in Mass and the Eucharist somehow allow me to more fully connected to the whole of my church community, my neighbors (even those outside my faith tradition), and society at large? I think it does and I think I know this in the depths of my heart. But most of the time I feel like I go to Mass because it’s my “obligation.” Recognizing that the Eucharist has a depth dimension that allows me to recognize that I am part of the whole of all that is perhaps is the true longingness I feel for Mass and the intension of this longingness that I often miss through my mostly unconsciousness mind.

As I re-read through this reflection it may seem like I have strayed from the story of the “ungrateful nine.” But the connection is this notion of intentionality – in both praying to God and going to Mass, which I feel like I should be applying to all situations within my life. What are my intentions in my relationship with my spouse and kids? What are my intentions in the work I do? What are my intentions in my relationship with God? Are they superficial or do they carry a greater dimension of depth that I should be more conscious of? The one Samaritan who returned to Jesus to give thanks seems to be conscious of this transcendent moment. By his “thank you” action he is not only showing his gratitude for being healed, but is also showing how he can see the bigger then himself picture of life. And for that Jesus responds with, “your faith has saved you.”