Transcript

Justin Brown: "As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, 'Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!' And when he saw them, he said, 'Go show yourselves to the priests.' As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him."

Elizabeth: You are listening to Scripture for Your Inner Outcasts. Today is Wednesday, November 11th, 2026, the Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours. Today's guest presenters Justin Brown, an IFS trained therapist licensed in Illinois and Texas.

Justin Brown: Today's Scripture comes from the Gospel of Luke, 17:12-16. "As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, 'Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!' And when he saw them, he said, 'Go show yourselves to the priests.' As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him." This passage made me think of the sacrament of reconciliation. It brings to mind how many times I have approached confession just like the lepers. On the drive to church, hoping Jesus will have pity on me, feeling a little nervous and shameful. As I retrospectively view myself through a system and parts lens, I can see my spiritual manager parts taking my shame-bearing exiles to confession for a cleaning. Following my confession, my spiritual managers have completed the task of taking some of my dirty, exiled parts to confession. And in their mind, I'm a little cleaner now. At least until the next time the managers have to bring the unclean parts back again. In this situation, I'm one of the nine who doesn't return. I don't realize that not only have I been cleansed, but there is actual healing that can and does take place when we are reconciled, truly brought together with Christ.

Justin Brown: Christ says to the one who returns and gives thanks, "Your faith has saved you." Jesus doesn't want my shame bearing exile just to be cleansed. He wants to be in relationship with it, to be reconciled with it, not just to know it's there, but even my most shameful parts he wants to be with. In IFS, we talk about the importance of reciprocity and proximity between inmost self and parts in order for knowing, witnessing, unburdening, and healing to take place. It's not just about identifying, naming, managing. It's about what can happen through healthy, rightly-ordered relationship. The one leper is cleansed and reciprocates God's grace with gratitude and thanksgiving. He doesn't go off on his own, just happy to be clean. He recognizes that healing has occurred through being with Jesus, and he draws close in proximity to him, falling at his feet. Because he does this, he is saved. So I invite you, exiles who carry the burden of shame, to know that Jesus wants to be close to you. Remember, Jesus doesn't come for the righteous. He came for the sinners, not just to clean and send on their way, but to heal and to be in relationship with them.

Elizabeth: Today's presenter, Justin, is a member of the Formation for Formators Community by Souls and Hearts. This is a virtual community of Catholic formators who are working on their own human formation so as to better serve others. If you're a spiritual director, a counselor, a therapist, a priest, this group is for you. Learn more in the description below.

Justin Brown: Let's end with our invocations. Our Lady, our Mother, Untier of Knots, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.