2 Kings 7:3-4a, 5b-6a, 7b-8a, 9
“Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate.  They said…‘Why stay here until we die?  If we…go into the city—the famine is there…So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender.’…When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army…They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.  The men who had leprosy…ate and drank and carried away silver, gold and clothes and went off and hid them…Then they said to each other, ‘We’re not doing right.  This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves…Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.’”

Luke 17:12-16
“As [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.  They stood at a distance and called out…‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’  When he saw them, he said, ‘Go show yourselves to the priests.’  And as they went, they were cleansed.  One of them when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet—and he was a Samaritan.”

Hebrews 13:12-13a, 15-16a
“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy…Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore…let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…and do not forget to do good and share with others…”

Father God, you define the centre and you encompass all borders.

You find us when we are outside the gate, alienated from approval.  In the wasteland you provide unexpected treasure.

Remind us to fill the desert with praise, and to bring the good news back to the lost insiders.

Through Christ we pray, who surrendered to a forsaken death to heal the citizens of a hurting world.

Listen to ‘Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners’ by Ordinary Time