Complete healing in thanksgiving

The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

Collect

May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading
2 Kgs 5:14-17

Naaman returned to the man of God and acknowledged the Lord.

A reading from the second Book of Kings

Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
   at the word of Elisha, the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child,
   and he was clean of his leprosy.

Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.
On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said,
   “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
   except in Israel.
Please accept a gift from your servant.”

Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it;”
   and despite Naaman’s urging, he still refused.
Naaman said: “If you will not accept,
   please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth,
   for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice
   to any other god except to the LORD.”

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R. :

℟. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
   for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
   his holy arm.

℟. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
   in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
   toward the house of Israel.

℟. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

All the ends of the earth have seen
   the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands:
   break into song; sing praise.

℟. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Second Reading
2 Tm 2:8-13

If we persevere we shall also reign with Christ.

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy

Beloved:
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:
   such is my gospel, for which I am suffering,
   even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
   so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
   together with eternal glory.
This saying is trustworthy:
   If we have died with him
      we shall also live with him;
   if we persevere
      we shall also reign with him.
   But if we deny him
      he will deny us.
   If we are unfaithful
      he remains faithful,
      for he cannot deny himself.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
1 Thess 5:18

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Lk 17:11-19

None but this foreigner has returned to give thanks to God.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
   he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, 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.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
   “Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
   your faith has saved you.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.


Reflection

This Sunday, the Church provides us with a passage in which Luke introduces us to ten men suffering from leprosy. In Jesus’ time, a person afflicted with leprosy was banished from their city, rejected by society, marginalised and condemned for life as people cursed by God. According to Jewish law, a leper was defiled and therefore excluded from the community. Leprosy was seen as though their sins were etched into their flesh … like leprosy, sin decays the person entirely. In the hearts of these ten lepers, faith arose in Jesus. While keeping their distance from Him, they called out to Him so that their cry could be heard, because they believed that Jesus could heal them from their leprosy and give them a new life: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us” (v. 13). Jesus meets us where we are. Whatever form of leprosy that is keeping us away from God and from our brothers and sisters, Jesus wants to heal us and restore to us the dignity of being God’s children which we lose through our sin.

Let us turn to Him and pray: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” The Evangelist tells us that when Jesus saw these ten lepers asking for mercy, He sent them to show themselves to the priests, so that the priests could confirm that they were truly healed and allowed them to return to their communities. It was certainly their faith in Jesus that led them to do what He asked, and, as soon as they obeyed and started on their way, they were healed of their illness. In our spiritual lives, are we resting in God’s hands with complete confidence in Him, allowing ourselves to be enlightened by His Word? Luke continues telling us that one of the ten lepers, who was a Samaritan, “when he realised that he had been cured, came back, praising God in a loud voice” (v. 15). To this man alone did Jesus say: “Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well” (v. 19). This man received complete healing when he recognised Jesus as the source of his salvation and prostrated himself before Him, giving Him thanks (v. 16). Although the other nine were healed, they continued on their way without acknowledging the greatness of God’s love for them in the person of Jesus.

How much confidence do we have in God’s love for us? How aware are we that everything is a gift? Let’s pause for a moment and reflect upon the graces that we daily receive from the Lord and tell Him “THANK YOU!”

Prayer

Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the nations, so that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in praising you. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen.” Alleluia.
Psalm 106:47-48.

 

Read Past Sunday Readings