28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

My dear parishioners,

God is Good!!!  All the time!!!  And all the time!!!  God is Good!!!

Gratitude. At the request of his servants, Naaman sets pride aside and plunges into the river as Elisha told him to do. When he emerges, his flesh is restored and healthy “like the flesh of a little child.” This phrase reminds readers of the little girl whose faith in Elisha’s powers set this entire account in motion. Naaman returns to Elisha, full of gratitude. His words reveal that the healing has gone all the way down to his very core. Although he is a mighty general, he presents himself as a “servant” to Elisha. He wants to enrich the prophet with the treasures he brought with him, but Elisha refuses.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus continues his long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem which he began in Lk 9:51. This journey is the context for much of Jesus’ teaching about discipleship as well as events and encounters that are unique to Luke’s Gospel. The story of Jesus’ encounter with 10 lepers is one of those unique narratives.

Jesus encounters 10 lepers. Upon entering a village, Jesus encounters 10 lepers who plead for pity. What they are really asking for are alms. Excluded from ordinary social interaction, lepers depended on charity and alms from others for survival. Jesus gives them nothing. Instead, he tells them to show themselves to the priests. Only the priests could declare a leper cleansed and healed.

The lepers are healed. Without any verbal response, the lepers go on their way apparently to show themselves to the priests. While on their way, one of the lepers realizes that he has been healed. We are not told if the other nine at this time realized they, too, had been healed. In any case, only the one who was aware of his healing returned to Jesus. Notice what this healed leper does first. He glorifies God in a loud voice. Only after this does the healed leper fall at Jesus’ feet and thank him. This leper has realized that he has been healed by the power of God, mediated through Jesus.

He was a Samaritan. The shocking revelation comes when we are told in a brief sentence, “He was a Samaritan.” The animosity between Jews and Samaritans was well known. Luke highlights this in his parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus was getting close to the edge by encountering these lepers. He has gone over the edge by knowing that one was a leper. Jesus asks the cured Samaritan leper three probing questions: “Ten were cleansed, were they not?”  “Where are the other nine?” “Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Jesus concludes by telling the cleansed leper to stand up and go. He declares, “Your faith has saved you.” Notice that all 10 lepers were healed, but only one is saved. It is important to realize that the one who is saved is a two-fold outsider. He was a Samaritan, and he was a leper. Ordinarily, that would have been a fatal position in which to be. For Luke, however, salvation is universal. It only requires faith.

Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved

 Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Aloysius