October 12 - Sunday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year C

(2Kgs.5:14-17;   Ps.98:1-4;   2Tm.2:8-13;   Lk.17:11-19)

 

“All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.”

 

“The word of God is not chained.”  It cannot be imprisoned.  It is free.  And it cannot be limited by national boundaries; it is for everyone.  The universal call of salvation is made most clear in our readings today: in our first reading, Naaman the Syrian is healed of his leprosy, and in our gospel a Samaritan is healed of the same.  Both are foreigners and essentially enemies to Israel, but it is these two we hear of today to make clear that the Word of God and His power are unbounded.

And when these foreigners are healed, they return praising God; they make clear their faith in the Holy One, much to the shame of those who are native to His House, who may often lack such recognition of the Lord and His work in their lives.  This is perhaps the greatest message of today’s readings, that we must be as the Samaritan who, “realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice, and… fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him.”  For this is what the Lord desires of us, thanksgiving, a sacrifice of praise.  How clearly this is shown in Naaman as well, whose offerings of gifts are repelled by Elisha, the man of God, “despite Naaman’s urging,” but who will not leave without earth from the land of Israel, declaring, “I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except the Lord.”  The Lord desires of us our praise and worship of Him only, and when we come bearing this gift of ourselves, He says to us, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

And it is unto the end we must remain faithful, praising God for the graces He gives, if we hope to “obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory.”  We should hear in Paul’s teaching in our second reading of the means to salvation and the means to condemnation.  The Lord “remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”  He is God; He holds salvation and glory.  If we persevere with Him, dying with Him, giving all our selves always to His service, “we shall also reign with Him.”  It cannot be otherwise because the Lord indeed blesses those who come to Him.  But “if we deny Him, He will deny us,” and this cannot but be, too, for He cannot dwell with untruth.

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