Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 144

Reading I

2 Kgs 5:14-17

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."
 

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

Reading II

2 Tm 2:8-13

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.

Alleluia

1 Thes 5:18

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

Gospel

Lk 17:11-19

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."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

Our faith is our strongest asset. It is through our faith that our true potential can be realized, and true joy can be found. Focusing on Jesus and acting out what we believe will always lead to positive results. Even when we find ourselves challenged, these times can be used to strengthen our resolve in what we know to be true instead of being viewed as a time of crisis. As Christians, a time of trial serve as an opportunity to experience Jesus Christ more and to validate our faith. We are reminded through the Apostle Paul that Jesus will never abandon us and that our perseverance will lead to a just reward in the end regardless of the circumstances. He will never abandon us. It is only us who can abandon Him. Even in that time of abandonment, He will remain faithful to us; patiently waiting for us to return. What a true friend and lover we have in Jesus!

 

Jesus warned us that being lukewarm in our faith is the true danger we face in our lives. Going through the motions is unacceptable and causes real harm. Being lackluster in anything is not a good thing. As God said through Isaiah,

 

“Since this people draws near with words only and honors me with their lips alone, though their hearts are far from me, and their reverence for me has become routine observance of the precepts of men, therefore I will again deal with this people in surprising and wondrous fashion.”

 

This is the status of many Christians today and a reflection of society. When we are not challenged and when we do not rely on our faith, then it becomes meaningless. It becomes an afterthought in our lives and something that becomes more of an obligation that is developed around tradition and habit instead of something that is truly sought after and used. That is why it is better to lose our faith for a while, much like the lost coin in the parable, then find it again so we can experience a wonderful joy in true relationship with our God.

 

The Scripture Readings mention two healings, one by the prophet Elisha and one by Jesus Christ. The commonality between these two events is that they both included persons who were foreigners. Naaman was the army commander for the king of Aram, while at least one of the lepers in the Gospel Reading was a Samaritan. Even though Naaman did not know God, he had faith enough to ask to be healed while it was the Samaritan leper who came back to Jesus to glorify Him. Both these men were swept up in their faith. Jesus’ last words to the leper were,

 

"Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you”

 

This was after the healing and not before. So, in what way was it that the leper was saved? Jesus was referring to the salvation of his soul. It is through faith that we are saved and the exercise of it in our lives. Naaman and the leper’s story did not end after their healing, but it was just the beginning. Naaman took earth from Israel to erect an altar to worship God in his home country while the leper, now cured, went away praising God. They both became new creations by first being challenged and then by exercising their faith, a faith they previously did not have. Now that they found it, it is assumed that they would never let it go, especially after being the receivers of such a great miracle. This is something that we all learn from. How many miracles have we all been witness to? How many miracles have we all been receivers of? In the face of an ever more faithless society, we must constantly remind ourselves what in fact Jesus Christ has done for us and what He is still willing to do.

 

The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy today,

 

“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.”

 

We should remind ourselves of this and put it into the perspective that it deserves: “Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David.” He is our God and we are His people. There is no mediocrity allowed here. We are Naaman. We are the Samaritan leper. Cured from the darkness of our past and our brokenness, we should go forth praising and glorifying God all the time. The miracles they had and the ones that we continue to have every day, do not end. They increase as our faith increases. The transformative experience never ends. The miracles never cease.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 141

Reading 1

Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4

How long, O LORD?  I cry for help
 but you do not listen!
 I cry out to you, "Violence!"
 but you do not intervene.
 Why do you let me see ruin;
 why must I look at misery?
 Destruction and violence are before me;
 there is strife, and clamorous discord.
 Then the LORD answered me and said:
 Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
 so that one can read it readily.
 For the vision still has its time,
 presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
 if it delays, wait for it,
 it will surely come, it will not be late.
 The rash one has no integrity;
 but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
 let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
 let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
 let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
 and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
 "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
 as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
 they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2

2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Beloved:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit
that dwells within us.

Alleluia

1 Peter 1:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord remains forever.
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied,
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

We are encouraged to question our faith continuously in order that it may grow. Regardless of our circumstances or where we may find ourselves, our faith will eventually be tested. Before we are challenged, it is good to prepare for that day. In the Book of Genesis, when Joseph served as advisor to the king of Egypt, he foresaw a great famine coming to the area and he advised the Pharaoh to store up wheat in preparation, so that the suffering of the land could be alleviated while he also became better as a result, being the only one who had wheat to provide to those in need. Jesus also reminds us to, “Store up treasures in heaven,” instead of focusing on material gain on this earth. “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” If our heart is with God, this indicates the strength of our faith. The act of storing up, means preparing for something. This something goes back preparing for a time when we will come under spiritual attack, either stemming from challenges that we may have, or doubts brought about by what we might interpret as an unresponsiveness from God.

 

We live in a society today where there is an expectation of quick results or a quick fulfillment of what we seek. Immediate gratification of our desires is often offered to the point that a lack thereof fosters dissatisfaction, anxiety, and disappointment. Multimedia and the free-market system that we are exposed to enforce these attitudes. Instagram Reels average between 20 to 30 seconds, while TikTok reels go upwards of 60 seconds. These snippets then encourage us to delve deeper into what is being promoted, designed to capture our interest and influence our thought process. Interactions between people can be reduced to text messaging and postings on social media. There is a lack of deep thought and awareness. The pursuit of wisdom is compromised. Relationships are in constant danger of being shallow with a lack of any depth. Because of these reasons, our faith can be undermined and threatened.

 

The prophet Habakkuk laments that God’s justice is lacking. He prays for God’s intersession and there is no apparent answer. This frustrates him forces him to question God’s actions. God in response mentions that justice is already present and that it is all around him, it is just going unnoticed. The rash ones, those who think God is not present, lose their integrity through their actions in reaction to the assumed absence of God while those who have a focus on God will be persevered. This can serve as a warning to us. Treating our faith-life like a 30 second real on Instragram will leave it weak and vulnerable to the influences of outside forces that seek to derail it, if not to destroy it. The definition of faith is, “The belief in the unseen.” If our belief in God is so easily shaken by circumstances that we find ourselves in, then what benefit does it serve to us? That indicates some sort of weakness within us that we must work on if we are to strengthen it. Strengthening it will then lead to a deeper relationship with God and a better understanding of how we may apply that relationship to all aspects of our lives.

 

The Apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. They were seeking immediate results. Obviously, they had some doubts, and they were looking for Jesus to relieve these. They were seeking an immediate solution to a problem that they had which only they could solve. This request came after they were witnesses to many miracles and wonderous deeds performed by Jesus, including the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Yet, the Apostles still doubted. They were either challenging Jesus or pleading with Him to do this, but what more could He do if they were resistant to what He already was offering them and teaching them?  If we become resistant to what Jesus is offering us and telling us, we will suffer the same results. The responsibility came back to each of the individual Apostles to do the work necessary to achieve what they were seeking. It also needed to come from within. It wasn’t going to be given to them, regardless of how hard they worked for or what they did for Jesus. What they did for Him was expected being His Apostles. The responsibility would then have to come from the Apostles themselves. If they wanted faith, then they would have to find it. To find, they would have to spend time on it.

 

Our faith is no different. If we work on it, we will strengthen it. If we seek the answers, we will get them. As Jesus said,

 

“Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.”

 

This takes action on our part and the will to achieve what we set out to achieve. God will deny us nothing. He is offering us everything. We just must make the choice to take it.

 

Having a rich and strong faith-life grounded in the teachings of Jesus and Sacred scripture will render only positive results. Our lives will be orientated towards God and then He will be able to do what He always wanted to do: to enter a relationship with us that will transform us into a new creation, one with Him at its center. Once our faith recognizes God then that means He is walking with us. If He is walking with us, who can really be against us?

 

Deacon Tom