Daily Readings - Sun Oct 13 2019

¹⁴So he descended and washed in the Jordan seven times, in accord with the word of the man of God. And his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child. And he was made clean¹⁵And returning to the man of God, with his entire retinue, he arrived, and stood before him, and he said: "Truly, I know there is no other God, in all the earth, except in Israel. And so I beg you to accept a blessing from your servant.¹⁶But he responded, "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it." And though he urged him strongly, he did not agree at all¹⁷And Naaman said: "As you wish. But I beg you to grant to me, your servant, that I may take from here the burden of two mules from the ground. For your servant will no longer offer holocaust or victim to other gods, except to the Lord

2 Timothy

Chapter 2

⁸Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the offspring of David, has risen again from the dead, according to my Gospel⁹I labor in this Gospel, even while chained like an evildoer. But the Word of God is not bound¹⁰I endure all things for this reason: for the sake of the elect, so that they, too, may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory¹¹It is a faithful saying: that if we have died with him, we will also live with him¹²If we suffer, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us¹³If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful: he is not able to deny himself

Luke

Chapter 17

¹¹And it happened that, while he was traveling to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee¹²And as he was entering a certain town, ten leprous men met him, and they stood at a distance¹³And they lifted up their voice, saying, "Jesus, Teacher, take pity on us.¹⁴And when he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And it happened that, as they were going, they were cleansed¹⁵And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, returned, magnifying God with a loud voice¹⁶And he fell face down before his feet, giving thanks. And this one was a Samaritan¹⁷And in response, Jesus said: "Were not ten made clean? And so where are the nine¹⁸Was no one found who would return and give glory to God, except this foreigner?¹⁹And he said to him: "Rise up, go forth. For your faith has saved you.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful stories of healing, conversion, and gratitude. The first reading from 2 Kings tells the story of Naaman, a Syrian general, who, despite his wealth and power, is afflicted with leprosy. Through the humility of a young Israelite girl and the obedience of Naaman to the prophet Elisha’s instructions, Naaman is healed in the Jordan River. This healing is not just physical but also spiritual, as Naaman comes to recognize the one true God of Israel. The second reading from 2 Timothy reminds us that our faith is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and though we may face suffering, we endure for the sake of the Gospel and the salvation it brings. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one—a Samaritan—returns to give thanks, teaching us that gratitude is an essential response to God’s grace. These readings are connected by the theme of faith and its consequences. Naaman’s healing leads to his conversion, while the lepers’ healing in the Gospel highlights the importance of gratitude. The second reading ties these together by reminding us that our faith is not just about receiving blessings but also about remaining faithful and enduring trials for the sake of the Gospel. All three readings call us to reflect on how we respond to God’s grace in our lives. In our daily lives, we are often like the lepers in the Gospel—receiving blessings and healings, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Yet, how often do we stop to thank God? The Samaritan’s example challenges us to cultivate gratitude, not just for the big things but for the small, everyday mercies. Like Naaman, we are called to humility and trust in God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make immediate sense. And like St. Paul in 2 Timothy, we are reminded that our faith is worth suffering for, because it leads to eternal life. Let us strive to live with gratitude, humility, and perseverance, knowing that God’s grace is always at work in our lives.