Words of Spirit and Life

2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalm 97:1-4. R. v. 2; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19

Theme: SALVATION IS FOR ALL PEOPLES AND ALL NATIONS

1. Today is the 28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. The readings today tell us that Salvation is for all peoples and all nations!

    The gospel today tells us that 10 lepers were made clean, but only one returned to thank Jesus; only one had faith, and only one was saved! And he was not a Jew; he was a foreigner, he was a Samaritan, a “half-Jew”, a “reject” and an “outcast”! Thus the gospel tells us that Salvation is for all peoples and all nations; Jews as well as Gentiles/Pagans!

2. The first reading follows the theme of the gospel. The first reading tells us that Naaman, the commander-in-chief of the army of the king of Aram (Syria) was cured of his leprosy by the prophet Elisha. And more importantly, the first reading tells us that Naaman was then converted to the God of Israel! Again, Naaman was a non-Jew; he was a foreigner. Again, Salvation is for all peoples and for all nations!

    Note that Naaman in the first reading and the Samaritan in the gospel were not only both non-Jews, but they were also both lepers! Thus Salvation is not only for the holy people, but salvation is also, and especially for the sinners! Both Naaman the leper and the Samaritan leper symbolize sinners!

3. The responsorial psalm follows the theme of the first reading and the gospel. The responsorial psalm is a call to praise God for the salvation of Israel. The responsorial psalm has 3 stanzas. The first and second stanzas, and the first part of the third stanza (Ps 97:1-3) are a call to Israel to praise God for the salvation of Israel, but the second part of the third stanza (Ps 97:4) is a call to all the nations of the earth to praise God for the salvation of Israel! All the nations of the earth are called to praise and worship the God of Israel for they have seen the salvation of Israel! (HCSB/NJBC) Again, salvation is not only for Israel, but salvation is for all the peoples and all the nations of the earth!

    Thus the third stanza of the responsorial psalm: “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord all the earth, ring out your joy.”! (Ps 97:3b-4) And thus the response of the responsorial psalm: “The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.”! (Ps 97:2)     

4. Finally, the second reading tells us that Paul was put in prison in Rome, awaiting execution; because he proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ risen from the dead! More importantly, the second reading tells us that Paul proclaimed the good news so that others may be saved and share in the glory of the Lord!

    In the second reading Paul exhorts Timothy, the leader of the Christian community in Ephesus (1 Tm 1:3f), to proclaim the good news, even in the face of imprisonment and execution, so that others may be saved and share in the glory of the risen Lord!    

5. Today in the Eucharist, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we eat his body and drink his blood, and our Risen Lord will give us the Holy Spirit, to help us proclaim the Good News for the salvation of all peoples and all nations!       

Amen! 

Theme: THANKSGIVING

1. There is another important theme in today’s gospel, that is, the theme of thanksgiving! The gospel tells us that 10 lepers were cured, but only one had faith and only one was saved, that is, the one who returned to thank Jesus!

    There are 4 kinds of prayer: petition, thanksgiving, adoration, and contrition. We seldom forget the first kind of prayer, that is, petition, but we sometimes forget the second kind of prayer, that is, thanksgiving!

    The 14^th century mystic, Meister Eckhart wrote wisely, “The most important prayer in the world is just two words long: Thank you.” (Fr. J. Gilhooley, p 386) Again, Fr. Gilhooley quotes, “God has two homes – one in heaven and the other in a thankful heart.”! Matthew Fox, the “Creation theologian” once said that if the only prayer we know is “Thank you”, that would be enough! One may also say that if the only prayer we know is “thank you”, that would be too much! For even if we were to begin today to thank God for his Creation (Father), his Salvation (Son) and his Sanctification (Holy Spirit), we will not be able to finish thanking him in our lifetime!

    The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”! Thus in the “Eucharistic Prayer” we thank God first (thanksgiving) before we ask him for favors (petition)! Thus the very first sentence of “Eucharistic Prayer II”: “Father, it is our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.”!

   Thus the Gospel Acclamation of today’s Mass: “For all things give thanks, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.”! (1 Thess 5:18)

    But do not forget to thank God also for the “bad things”! The “bad things” are good for our conversion!                                                                                                        

Amen!

Fr. Nicholas Ong, Holy Trinity Church, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.

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