As they were going they were cleansed

12 NOVEMBER (Lk 17,11-19)

The miracles of Jesus manifest something surprisingly new. Some of them do not occur instantly. They are accomplished along a route, on the way.This is what happens at the Cana wedding. The servants are carrying water. While they carry it is turned into wine.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now” (Jn 2,1-10).

Even for the man born blind, Jesus applies the same law. He puts some mud on the eyes and then he commands the blind man to go wash himself in the pool of Silone. This miracle also takes place away from the Lord Jesus. However, it happens by faith. One believes. He is healed.

As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes (Jn 9,1-6).

Jesus sends ten lepers to the priest, so that he is the one to observe their healing. But they are lepers. They leave Jesus as lepers. As lepers they walk towards the priest. The miracle is not only a fruit of faith, of prayer, of the will of the Lord Jesus. It is also from the faith of whoever asks for it. Jesus has always asked for the faith. It is the result of a double faith: the faith of who is invested to do it and the faith of whoever is called to receive it. The two faiths are necessary.

As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they 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. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

The true miracle, the one made by the Lord Jesus, it is not one with an end in itself. It is a sign. It is a sign that must lead the heart to the fullness oftruth. It is given for the true conversion of the heart, mind, will and spirit. From the faith in the miracle the sign must lead to most pure faith inChrist, the Giver of grace and truth, the bread of life, the light and the resurrection.

Nine lepers take a miracle and disappear from the history of salvation. Instead, one goes back. He prostrates himself before the Lord Jesus. He recognizes him as the Mediator between God and him. He gives glory to the Lord through his Benefactor. He opens to the faith in its mission of salvation and redemption. The miracle in him acted according to the fullness of truth. It was the sign for the birth of the true faith in his heart. Many graces, many miracles, many satisfactions of prayer are in vain for many Christians. They take the grace, but leave the God of grace and salvation.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us the truth of the miracle.