Glory to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters!

I congratulate you on receiving of the Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy. You have listened to the Gospel, which tells that Jesus healed ten lepers. Leprosy is incurable disease and people suffer greatly from it. Body of a living person is decaying until the disease comes to important organs, only then a person dies. These are incredible suffering. And this disease is incurable. But there were cases where people are actually cured of the disease. And it was a great miracle.

When such miracle happened, by the law of Moses, they had to go to priests. Only then they are able to live in society. Lepers were segregated from society and lived alone.

Among these ten lepers there was a Samaritan. Samaritans, in general , were beyond the law of the Jews, but their common woe united them . So they all lived together as it was easier to survive.

So, we see that they met the Lord. They really know he was a master, and that He cures diseases. So they waited for him, and met, and he healed them.

But look what happened: they really suffered, and they were healed, but they did not return to thank Jesus. Only Samaritan returned. Then the Lord said, "Faith has saved you ". Nine Jews also had faith, but their faith was not so great, that they might be saved. Their faith was enough only for their recovery. And who knows, maybe their disease turned back to them.

So we have to understand that when we appeal to God, when we go to church, we are healed, healed spiritually and physically. We must understand that when we move away from God, diseases can return back to us. Because when God heals you, he shows that you really go along the road of salvation.

Leprosy is our sins corroding us. They are corroding our soul and our whole body, and spirit. The Lord heals us, heals our souls, our bodies. But we may not understand this, and not everyone can give thanks to the Lord. Therefore, the Gospel shows that only one of the ten returned.

Perhaps in modern world even the only one out of a hundred will return to thank God. People feel God and receive His healing, but do not thank him. We must thank him even for living in this world, but not everyone understands this, unfortunately.

However, it is very important that we do not get used to his love and grace. We should experience it each time anew. Otherwise we will not grow up spiritually. We will stagnate spiritually.

So let us praise God for love, for this beautiful life, for all these wonderful miracles that God works for us. And let all of us will thank God for all your life.

Amen!