Sunday 12 October 2025– XXVIII Sunday in Ordinary Tine (C)
Mass Readings: 2 Kgs
5:14–17 | Ps 98 | 2 Tim 2:8–13 | Lk 17:11–19
Key Verse for Meditation: “Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made
clean? But the other nine, where are they?’” (Lk 17:17).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
The Liturgy of the Word for the Twenty-Eighth
Sunday reminds us of our duty to give thanks to God always. The first reading
presents the story of the healing of Naaman the leper. This story is not only
about physical healing but also about the healing of the heart—achieved through
humility, faith, and thanksgiving.
In the Second
Reading, St. Paul teaches us that by sharing in Christ’s sufferings, we shall
also share in His glory.
The Gospel for this
Sunday recounts the healing of ten lepers. Jesus healed all ten without
condition, demonstrating that His love and compassion extend to everyone,
regardless of background or status. Yet, the Gospel also conveys a vital lesson
for our life of discipleship: thanksgiving is the mark of a true disciple. To
follow Christ means not only to receive His blessings but also to return to Him
with gratitude, acknowledging Him as Lord.
The First
Reading: The Healing of Naaman
In
today’s first reading, we hear the story of Naaman, the Syrian army commander
who suffered from leprosy. At first, he resisted the prophet Elisha’s command
to wash seven times in the Jordan. Yet, when he finally obeyed, he was
completely healed (2 Kgs 5:14). Overwhelmed by the gift of new life, Naaman
returned to the prophet in gratitude, proclaiming: “Now I know that there is
no God in all the earth except in Israel” (2 Kgs 5:15). His healing led him
not only to physical restoration but also to faith in the true God.
The healing of Naaman reminds us that God often
works through simple and humble means. Naaman expected dramatic gestures, but
instead, he was told to wash in the waters of the Jordan. At first, he resisted
out of pride, but when he humbled himself and obeyed, he was healed. In the
same way, God’s grace often comes to us in ordinary ways—through prayer, acts
of kindness, and especially through the sacraments, where simple signs like
water, bread, and wine carry the power of God’s saving love.
This episode also
teaches us that pride can be a great obstacle to God’s work in our lives. Like
Naaman, we sometimes want spectacular answers to our prayers, forgetting that
God calls us to trust and obey even in small things. Finally, Naaman’s response
of gratitude and faith challenges us to recognize God’s hand in our lives and
to live with thankful hearts.
The Second Reading
In today’s second
reading, St. Paul reminds us that for the sake of the Gospel he preached (Rom
2:16), he is willing to endure all sufferings and hardships. Though he himself
is in chains for the sake of the Gospel, the Word of God cannot be chained, for
it is the power of God (2 Tim 2:9). By using the phrase “in chains,” Paul
refers to his imprisonment (Phil 1:7; Col 4:18; Phlm 10). With a heavy heart
and deep humility, he acknowledges that he is bound even to the point of being
treated like a criminal (cf. Lk 23:32–33). To suffer as a criminal would
normally bring shame, but Paul embraces this suffering with joy, for in it he
glorifies Christ (1 Pet 4:15–16).
Paul further
explains the purpose of his endurance: he accepts every trial for the sake of
the elect (Ps 88:3; Is 65:9; Rom 8:33; Col 3:12), so that all may obtain and
experience the salvation that is in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 9:22–23). At the heart
of the Gospel stands the proclamation that Jesus died and rose from the dead
(Acts 3:15; 1 Cor 15:4; Rom 4:24; Eph 1:20; 1 Pet 1:13). Therefore Paul boldly
declares: “If we have died with Him, we shall
also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim
2:11–12).
Sharing in the
sufferings of Christ leads us into the glory of Christ. Today’s reading reminds
us that every disciple of Christ is called to participate in His death and
suffering in order to share in His life and in the promise of His eternal
kingdom. For us, this means that no suffering endured for Christ is ever
wasted. When we unite our trials with His Cross, they become a pathway to
glory. Let us, therefore, remain steadfast in faith, knowing that if we endure
with Him, we shall also reign with Him.
The
Gospel Reading
The
Gospel passage from Luke recounts the well-known episode of the healing of the ten
lepers (Lk 17:11–19), which is unique to the Gospel of Luke. As Jesus journeys
to Jerusalem, He encounters ten lepers who, from a distance, cry out: “Jesus,
Master, have mercy on us!” (Lk 17:13). Their condition was
devastating—physically, socially, and spiritually. In the time of Jesus,
leprosy was one of the most feared and incurable diseases. Lepers were forced
to live in isolation, cut off from family and society, marked by shame, and
obligated to shout “Unclean!” when others approached (cf. Lev 13:45-46).
Yet these lepers dared to
break barriers. They approached Jesus, hoping against hope that He could help
them. Moved with compassion, Jesus told them: “Go and show yourselves to the
priests” (Lk 17:14). This was the customary requirement of the Law (cf. Lev
14:2), so that the priests could officially certify their healing. Remarkably,
even before seeing any change, the lepers trusted Jesus’ word and obeyed. On
the way, they were healed.
The One
Who Returned
But here
lies the heart of the story: out of the ten who were cleansed, only one
returned to Jesus to give thanks—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus’ question
resounds with sadness and surprise: “Were not ten made clean? But the other
nine, where are they?” (Lk 17:17).
The nine others may have
been eager to return to their families, celebrate their newfound freedom, and
rejoin society. Yet they missed the essential step—returning to God with
thanksgiving. Healing is not complete unless it leads us back to the Source of
healing. That is why Jesus tells the grateful Samaritan: “Get up and go on
your way; your faith has made you well” (Lk 17:19). His gratitude and faith
in the word of Christ the Lord became the doorway to salvation.
Gratitude
and Christian Discipleship
This
episode is not merely about physical healing. It reveals the heart of Christian
discipleship. Jesus came especially for the poor, the sinners, the outcasts,
the widows, the children, and the sick. His mercy reaches all, but not everyone
responds with faith and gratitude. All ten received external healing, but only
one experienced internal healing—a transformation of the heart. He
recognized the love of God at work in him, and this recognition moved him to
return, fall at Jesus’ feet, and give thanks. Gratitude deepened his healing
into salvation.
Even One
Matters to Jesus
Notice,
too, how Jesus values even one grateful heart. The Gospel reminds us that
numbers do not define worth in God’s eyes. Throughout the parables we see this
truth:
- One tax collector who prayed humbly was justified
(Lk 18:10–14).
- One prodigal son returned and was embraced by the
father (Lk 15:11–32).
- One lost sheep was enough for the shepherd to
leave the ninety-nine (Lk 15:3–7).
- One silver coin was searched for with diligence
(Lk 15:8–10).
- One thief on the cross was promised paradise (Lk
23:39–43).
For Jesus, even one grateful, repentant,
faith-filled person matters.
Points
for Personal Reflection
- Do I thank God daily for the countless blessings
I receive, especially the gift of life, health, and faith?
- Is my prayer mostly about asking, or does it also
include praise and thanksgiving?
- Am I cultivating an attitude of gratitude
that opens me more deeply to God’s grace?
- Do I recognize both the external blessings and
the internal healing God works in my life?
Conclusion
Gratitude is the hallmark
of a true disciple. From today’s first reading and Gospel, we learn an
important lesson: faith brings healing, and that faith must be accompanied by
thanksgiving. In the first reading, we saw how Naaman obeyed the command of the
prophet Elisha and experienced holistic healing. In the Gospel, we witnessed
how the ten lepers obeyed Jesus’ word and went to show themselves to the
priests, and only then were they healed. This reminds us that faith involves
trusting and acting on God’s word, even before we see the results.
Yet, only one leper, a
Samaritan (Lk 17:15), returned to thank Jesus. Gratitude transforms healing
into wholeness; thanksgiving deepens our relationship with God. It is deep
faith in Christ that draws us back to the altar of God to render due thanks for
His mercies. Let us, therefore, never forget to return to the Lord with hearts
full of gratitude, for only the truly grateful are filled with God’s grace.
May we learn from the
Samaritan leper to fall at the feet of Jesus each day, saying: “Thank you,
Lord, for your mercy, for your healing, for your love.” And may our
thanksgiving always deepen our faith and bring us closer to salvation.
“Were not
ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?” (Lk 17:17).
Let us make sure that we are among
those who return to give thanks to the Lord.
