14.10.2007 28th Sunday OT - year
C
1st Reading II Kings 5,14-17 Psalm 98
2nd Reading II Tim 2,8-13 Gospel Luke 17,11-19
After first addressing the Father, Jesus teaches us to think of our needs. Every day we worry about having sufficient to eat - our bread. "Ask and it will be given unto you" he once said to the disciples. Did Jesus mean the bread we need to feed our physical needs? Didn't he say that the Father knows what we need even before we ask for it? Jesus teaches us to say "give us this day our daily bread": he taught the disciples who were gathered around him and this means the Church. What bread does the Church need to stay united, meaningful and of service in the world and to bear witness to Jesus? This is the daily bread we would ask for, the Eucharist, the bread which nourishes unity and through which we receive the Holy Spirit which gives us the strength to love each other, of communion and peace. When asking for our daily bread let us not only think of our physical needs but also the hunger for love and truth for which the world suffers. The Church can help feed that hunger if it is truly a Church, united in Jesus, strong in the faith and communion of it's members. And for communion to be present our sins must go, must lose their hold on us. Sins divide the Church, make it unsteady and incapable of giving signs of hope to the world in order to bring it closer to the Saviour. So the prayer then asks for forgiveness of sins - our trespasses. God is merciful and quick to forgive, but if we are not humble we prevent him from forgiving us. We realise that we are sinners and need his compassion. We show how much we desire his forgiveness by being compassionate of those who have given in to temptation and have been unkind to us. This we tell the Father, but without boasting. If they sinned, isn't it a sign that we did not help them? Let us also ask forgiveness for their sins.
It seems that the main topic of today's reading is gratitude. Naaman after
being healed of leprosy shows his gratitude to the prophet who had told him
to wash himself seven times in the river Jordan. The leper healed by Jesus together
with nine others, returns to thank him. In both these cases gratitude becomes
recognition of that God who in his mercy cancels the death sentence which is
leprosy. Naaman takes some earth from Israel to use it in his country as a place
of prayer, of new faith. In both cases faith is praised and made an example
of for the Hebrews. It is not sufficient to belong to a people who profess the
true faith: it must become the soul of each individual to find a way to testify
to that God who helps them!
Jesus healed the ten lepers and sent them to the high priests in the temple,
so that the healing might be made known and seen as a sign that he was sent
by the Father, a gift to a world in great need of salvation. Those who do not
recognise Jesus as a gift from God, even if they are healthy in body, will be
discontented, insensitive, without profound joy and real meaning in their existence.
Jesus is surprised that only one leper returns to him to thank him; the other
nine continue on their way without the joy of praising God! Healing of the body
was sufficient for them and they did not realize that their lives remained in
the darkness of egoism.
St Paul learned to live in Jesus and for him. He knew that life is nothing until
you are one with the Lord and Saviour. For this reason he continues to recommend
the disciples and Timothy to remain strong in faith in Jesus and not only in
words, but also in participating in his death. He sets an example by being in
prison because of his teaching. Thinking of his suffering - we can also think
of the suffering of the many who are persecuted for their faith - the disciple
is encouraged to stay firm in his faith, despite the world being against him.
May today's Eucharist be our thanks to God for having given us Jesus! It is
with this gratitude in our hearts that we continue to love and be a sign and
example that he is life and salvation!