Leprosy symbolizes the sin of the soul, and all men both Israelite and Gentile have been infected with the disease of sin from our first parent — Adam. We are all God's creatures, but we have gotten lost in our journeys to Him. Some have wandered farther away than others, but all have strayed in Adam.
Jesus came first to the Israelites because they had not strayed as far as the Gentiles; but His desire is to call all men together once again and unite us through Himself to God. We are all called upon to be one in Jesus Christ. He is both our God and our Brother. Through Him, we may return to our proper place as Children of God. We must therefore not despise one another, but truly love one another and seek to help each other draw nearer to God through Jesus Christ.
Many of us have received great blessings from the Hand of God — just as the lepers did. To the nine Israelites, it was as if they expected that they had a right to be cured. They did not find it necessary to return to Jesus and show any appreciation or gratitude. Too often we sinners find ourselves in the same scenario. We receive the blessings of God and we do not even stop to think about giving thanks. One of the saddest scenes is that of a penitent leaving the confessional — just having his sins forgiven him — and he barely takes enough time to say the penance given him; much less, to spend some time to express his gratitude to God. Catholics are the modern day equivalent of the Israelites; they are the chosen people of God. They have all the sacraments, blessings and graces of God at their disposal — but seldom do they truly appreciate what has been given to them.
Frequently, we witness converts with more zeal, and appreciation for the Church, the sacraments and blessings, than the so called "cradle Catholics." Just as the Samaritan leper showed more appreciation than the nine Israelite lepers, so converts surpass life-long Catholics. This is truly the opposite of what it should be. Those who have received blessings for a longer period of time and have received more graces or more opportunities for graces should be the most appreciative. The Israelites received much from their inheritance as the Children of God; the cradle-Catholics have similarly received much from the Faith given to them through their parents. Yet, both are put to shame by someone coming in from the outside — the Israelites by the Samaritan; and the cradle-Catholics by the converts.
Jesus sent all ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests. On many occasions, Jesus simply healed those who petitioned Him, but today He first sends them to show themselves to the priests. The Fathers of the Church suggest that Jesus wishes to acknowledge the Church that He has established. Jesus came not to destroy, but to build up. Today, Jesus sends us to the Catholic priests to be forgiven. There is no doubt that Jesus can directly pardon and heal; but He has established a Church and priesthood that He desires us to enter into and cooperate with.
The Israelites were necessary to supply the foundation for all the Gentile nations to come to Jesus Christ. In a similar manner, the cradle-Catholics are necessary for the converts to have something to convert to — a place to enter. This is a noble and great dignity. Sadly, most have proven themselves most unworthy of this calling from God. It is time for us to shake off the lethargy and complacency that have too readily contaminated the hearts and souls of cradle-Catholics or long-time converts. In all humility, we should be looking to the Samaritan leper and learning what we must do.
We must first, humbly examine ourselves and come to a true appreciation of the seriousness of our illness — sins. Then, we must petition God for help — realizing that we can do nothing for ourselves. Next, we must present ourselves in Penance to a Catholic Priest. Lastly, we must perform the penance that the priest gives us; and most importantly, we must make sure to show our appreciation to God for the graces we have just received.