Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (Naaman returned to the man of God and acknowledged the Lord.)

A reading from the second Book of Kings (5:14-17)

Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God. Naaman’s flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean of his leprosy.

Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.”

Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives whom I serve, I will not take it;” and despite Naaman’s urging, Elisha still refused. Naaman said: “If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.” —The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (98:1, 2-3, 3-4)

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. (Cf. Ps 98:2b)
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R)

The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R)

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands: break into song; sing praise. (R)

SECOND READING (If we persevere we shall also reign with Christ.)

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy (2:8-13)

Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with Christ we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. —The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (1 Thes 5:18)

Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (R)

GOSPEL (None but this foreigner has returned to give thanks to God.)

A reading from holy Gospel according to Luke (17:11-19)

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when Jesus saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“Stand up and go your way! Your faith has saved you!”

Some years back I used the example of a special gift to explain this Gospel passage. Think for a minute of the time and effort you give to seek out the perfect gift to give to someone you love, or someone whose friendship you cherish? You sometimes ask questions about their likes and dislikes, or you listen more carefully to conversations you have with them to seek some insight. When you finally settle on the gift you spend extra time finding the right wrapping paper and ribbons or other materials to show “this is special” or “I picked this especially for you.”

You then present the gift, and stand back and wait. The person nods kindly, smiles a bit, and just places it aside or on a table and says, “I’ll open it later.” But inside, you are shouting: NO, I WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE WHEN YOU OPEN IT NOW!!! Then days, weeks pass… and no comment. You become disappointed with the lack of a reaction. They seemed to receive the gift with indifference, and this causes us pain and hurt – that we bear quietly.

The thrust or key to today’s readings can be found in this example. So often we receive God’s gifts with indifference. We forget to thank Him for all that He has done and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. If we studied the thousands—no millions—of ways our Lord shows us favor and how often we return to thank Him, it might be a sad revelation indeed.

In our first reading we meet a strong army commander of the Arameans, Naaman, who was struck with the skin disease called leprosy. One of his wife’s servants captured in war was from Israel, and she convinced him to travel to Samaria (the northern Kingdom) to be cured. At first, he is insulted by the “simple cure” offered by Elisha, but finally he finds enough faith to trust in this new god, the God of Israel. He is cured and returns to thank God.

Then in the Gospel we just heard, we meet another group of lepers among whom one of them, the only one to return to thank Jesus for their cure, was also a Samaritan from the north, the same place as Naaman.

Two distinctive marks that brought shame: first, leprosy, or – at that time in the Scriptures – almost any skin disease that forced a ritual separation or even quarantine and carrying a religious stigma; and second, being a foreigner, a Samaritan – a person from the north, disdained by the people from Judah, separated from worship in the Temple of Jerusalem – an outsider.

When Jesus encounters the ten lepers, standing off at a distance, they cry out, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” He sends them to the priests (who were the only ones who could remove the stigma of being forced to live in quarantine) and on the way they are cured. But only one, and Luke makes the point of emphasizing his nationality, a SAMARITAN – a foreigner, one shunned, one considered an unbeliever – this one alone comes back and humbly thanks Jesus.

What draws these threads together is a continuation of last week’s Gospel about FAITH. The disciples asked him, “Lord, increase our faith!” Jesus gives the example of faithfulness even when faced with doubt and troubles. Through loyalty, perseverance, and faithfulness we come to understand that the one who has faith is the one who is faithful, who keeps trying, who never quits. St. Paul expresses this in a different way in our second reading: “If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him… We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful.”

These readings also teach us about GRATITUDE – gratitude being an expression of thankfulness to God for the gift of FAITH.

Paul does not resent his predicament, his imprisonment, his sufferings. Rather he “bears it all for the sake of those who are chosen,” – that is – for those to whom he has been sent, those whom he serves, those to whom he preaches. He is filled with a sense of gratitude to God for his faith, and this gives him the conviction to state clearly: If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him… We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful.”

This is the same conviction that Naaman demonstrated in the first reading, begging to express his gratitude by worshipping the true God of Israel! And this is the same conviction that drew the Samaritan leper to return to Christ and thank him.

Imagine for a minute the other nine lepers. They cry out for pity – a cure! What did they initially receive? Jesus tells them, “Go see the priests” – a somewhat unexpected… and dull request. Like the one Naaman was given from Elisha – Go wash in the Jordan.” Sometimes faith calls on us to do the mundane, the routine, the insignificant, but it is in doing these small acts that we learn a new lesson of faith.

And when we pray, we often pray for our needs: our health, our welfare, our success, our safety, our well-being. Our needs push us in the direction to make our requests to God. But shouldn’t let needs set up the conditions for the answer. “Lord, if you truly want to help me…..” As the great philosopher, theologian and mystic, Meister Eckhart, once wrote: “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.” Let us say THANK YOU to God!

Prayers

Celebrant: God gives us so much, the life of grace, healing, pardon. But we often take Him for granted. We forget to thank Him. Let us bring our intercessions before him today in a spirit of gratitude.

READER: For the Church, that she may continue to heal broken lives in the power of the Holy Spirit, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For our community in Hong Kong, that we may continue to protect the rights of all, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all those who work in hospitals, nursing homes and in the health sector, that they may use their skills with compassion, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For our families and ourselves, that we may humbly thank God for the gift of faith, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: [SMC only… In thanksgiving for God’s blessings on Josh and Jasmine, and]For all living and deceased members of our community who we remember in our prayers, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Bountiful Father, hear the prayers of your people, who thank you in the perfect way by offering the Holy Eucharist. We ask this, through Christ our Lord, (all) AMEN.