Daily Readings - Sun Oct 12 2025

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 are reminded of the profound impact of faith and gratitude in our spiritual journey. Naaman, a Syrian general, experiences healing from leprosy through his obedience to Elisha, leading him to recognize the one true God. This transformation is not just physical but also spiritual, as he commits to worshiping only the Lord. Similarly, in the Gospel, Jesus heals ten lepers, yet only one, a Samaritan, returns to express his gratitude. This Samaritan's actions highlight the importance of thanksgiving and faith in our relationship with God. The context of these stories further enriches their meaning. Naaman's healing occurs amidst the division between Israel and Syria, yet he transcends this divide to acknowledge the power of the God of Israel. The lepers in the Gospel, including a Samaritan, show that Jesus' healing grace extends to all, regardless of background. Paul's letter, written during his imprisonment, emphasizes his unwavering commitment to the Gospel despite suffering, illustrating that faith can thrive even in adversity. Applying these lessons to our daily lives, we are called to embrace gratitude for God's blessings and to remain faithful through life's challenges. Like Naaman and the Samaritan leper, we should acknowledge God's work in our lives and express our thanks. Our faith is not just about receiving blessings but also about staying steadfast and giving glory to God in all we do. Let us strive to live with gratitude and faith, recognizing that our relationship with God is one of mutual love and trust.