Leprosy would make one ritually impure. It is against this background that we should understand the episodes in the first reading and in the gospel. In the first reading it was Naaman, the Syrian, and in the gospel ten unnamed lepers. The striking difference lies in the sense of gratitude shown by those who were healed. The 9 Jewish lepers healed by Jesus were more concerned about getting their healing confirmed and certified by the religious leadership, where as the only non-Jew had no such strings attached. So, he went straight back to Jesus praising God. He prostrated before him and thanked Jesus.

A priest friend of mine received a call from a family whose elderly mother was dying. Within thirty minutes, he was at her bedside, offering the consolation of the sacraments, anointing her with the oil of the sick, and commending her soul to God. She passed not long after, and for months, her family spoke of their deep gratitude for his presence. When I phoned him to commend his faithful ministry, he simply said, “I was just doing my job.”

I am embarrassed to admit that I frequently find myself dining and socializing with people who have millions and sometimes billions of dollars. I’ve eaten more caviar, lobster and wagyu steak than most people on the planet. I justify it by saying it’s part of my job. But I have seven pairs of nice jeans and expensive shoes.

A million young people, from 150 countries from all over the world, recently gathered in Rome to be acknowledged as the Catholic youth of our present age and to celebrate that they are the Church - present and future. This was just one of the many celebrations that have taken place in Rome during this Jubilee Year of Hope.

One of my favorite movies is the 1991 comedy What About Bob? Bill Murray plays a troubled, paranoid hypochondriac named Bob Wiley who innocently but annoyingly hounds Dr. Leo Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss. Bob is paralyzed by his fear of, well, everything, and is convinced the psychologist can heal him. But Dr. Marvin’s failed attempts to heal Bob end up driving the doctor to attempt to murder Bob. He fails. The surprise is that, having faced death head on, Bob is suddenly healed. He attributes his healing to Dr Marvin for break-through “death therapy.” In facing the cause of his deepest illness and dysfunction, Bob is healed.

Today's Gospel tells us that a large crowd was traveling with Jesus, but turning to his disciples, he tells them what it means to follow him: "...turning to his disciples, he said... Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27).

If we consider ourselves disciples and not part of the crowd, these words of Jesus are for us, but what does it mean or understand by "taking up the cross and following Jesus?"