WHITE HOUSE JESUIT RETREAT

St. Louis, MO 63129

1-800-643-1003

Jesuit retreat center high on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO.  Since 1922, thousands of people from around the world make annual three-day silent, guided retreats here to relax, reconnect with God and strengthen their spirituality.  A true gem in the Midwest!  Call 314-416-6400 or 1-800-643-1003.  Email reservations@whretreat.org  7400 Christopher Rd.  St. Louis, MO 63129

Both men's and women's retreats are offered as well as recovery retreats.

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Weekend Reflections for 10/7/16

October 07, 2016  /  Joe Parisi

The Grateful Samaritan, the Very Human Jesus

Sunday's Gospel on the healing of the 10 lepers tells me much about the humanity of Jesus. He was disappointed or hurt that nine of those healed did not return to express their gratitude. But also he was surprised that the one who did was a Samaritan. In the Gospels there are number of episodes about Jesus dealings with Samaritans.

In John's Gospel (4, 5-30) there is the intriguing story of Jesus with the woman at the well.  This conversation changes her into one of the first to proclaim how remarkable Jesus is.  There is his encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:25-30/Matthew 15:21-28) whose great faith convinced him despite his initial reluctance that he should heal her daughter.  There is his encounter with the Jewish leaders (Luke 7,1-10) of a certain village. They told him that the Roman centurion was indeed worthy of his consideration. Then after Jesus experiences this man's great faith, he is convinced that his servant was worthy of his merciful healing. 

And so when it comes to the healing of the 10 lepers there was no hesitation on the part of Jesus to heal them all, even though one was not an Israelite. His decision was confirmed and reinforced when this man alone came back to express his gratitude and appreciation.

Jesus it seems had to learn how to overcome the prejudices regarding Samaritans he had innocently taken on in his upbringing. I believe most, if not all of us, have the same issues and challenges, and the same need of eye-opening experiences which reveal to us our prejudices, the misconceptions of our beliefs. I also believe that in this day and age of our world and its relationships, we can all see how vitally important this type of conversion is. May our good Lord give us the humility, honesty, courage and faith this requires.

 

Jim Blumeyer, S.J.

 

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE ON RETREAT THIS WEEK AS WELL AS OUR DECEASED RETREATANTS. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR PEACE IN OUR COMMUNITY