Bifrost Arts sing, ‘O God, Will You Restore Us?’.

O God, will You restore us

And grant us Your salvation?

O God, will You restore us

And grant us Your salvation?

I will hear what God proclaims

The Lord our God proclaims peace

Kindness and truth shall meet

Justice and peace shall kiss

O God, will You restore us

And grant us Your salvation?

Here is the fast that I choose

To loosen the bonds of the oppressed and break their chains

Let righteousness and justice go out before you

Then You will call out and I will hear

O God, will You restore us

And grant us Your salvation?

Near indeed is His salvation to those who call on Him

He will incline His ear and hear their prayers

Truth shall spring out of the earth

And justice will rain down from heaven

O God, will You restore us

And grant us Your salvation?

The Lord will guide you on a righteous path

His vindication will shine down forth as the dawn

Your people will be called repairers of broken walls

Making straight the path to proclaim His reign

O God, will You restore us

And grant us Your salvation?

O God, will You restore us?

Please grant us Your salvation

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

Today is the feast day of St Josaphat. A bishop and martyr, he worked for unity between Eastern and Western Christians. His life was one of seeking reconciliation, healing wounds, and standing firm for the faith, even at great personal cost. Like the Samaritan leper, Josaphat is an outsider – a member of the Eastern Church – and was the first person from the Eastern Church to be canonised.

To seek a deeper connection, let’s take an imaginative moment to enter into this encounter. Imagine the road leading into the village, a pause on the route toward Jerusalem, Jesus has been travelling the fringes between Samaria and Galilee.

The group, like a single being, a silhouette against the light come no closer. The pitiful voices of the ten lepers cry out, keeping their distance, desperate: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

What feelings arise from this scene?

Do you remember a time when you called, or might have called, out to the Lord with this prayer?

In response, Jesus cures them all and sends them to the priests. In those times, priests would declare a person unclean and so was needed to make the official declaration that they were clean again, and able to return to their community.

But not the Samaritan—though part of the group, he remains an outsider, remains unclean. So his encounter with Jesus is something more. He hears Jesus say, “Your faith has saved you.”

Do we recognise the gifts we’ve received? Do we respond with thanks?

As we listen to the passage again, reflect on the places in your life where you seek deeper healing.

Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

“Your faith has made you well.”

Take a moment to notice where God is acting in your life.

In this moment of prayer, take time to share with the Lord what is in your heart.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen