Give thanks to the Lord!

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

It-28 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C pp 416            .

Reading 1                             2 KinGS 5:14-17

Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God. His 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, he 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." This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni   -   Qari mit-2 Ktieb tas-Slaten  5, 1-17

F'dak iż-żmien, Nagħman, il-kmandant tal-eżerċitu tas-Sultan ta' Aram, niżel fil-Ġordan,u għodos seba' darbiet, bħalma qallu Eliżew, il-bniedem ta' Alla, u ġismu raġa' sarlu qisu l-ġisem ta' tfajjel żgħażugħ, u ndaf mill-lebbra tiegħu. U raġa' lura għand Eliżew, il-bniedem ta' Alla, hu u  kull min kellu miegħu; daħal, waqaf quddiemu u qallu:  "Ara, issa naf, iva, li ma hemmx Alla ieħor fid-dinja kollha,  ħlief f'Iżrael.  Ilqa', nitolbok, dan ir-rigal mingħand  il-qaddej tiegħek."  U qallu Eliżew: "Daqs kemm hu ħaj il-Mulej li lilu naqdi, jien ma nieħu xejn." U ma ħadhulux,  għad li l-ieħor issikkaħ ħafna. Għalhekk Nagħman qallu:  "La ma tridx, nitolbok li  tingħata lill-qaddej tiegħek tagħbija ta' żewġ bgħula ħamrija; għax il-qaddej tiegħek mhuwiex se jagħmel iżjed saġrifiċċji tal-ħruq u offerti lil allat oħra, jekk mhux lill-Mulej." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                                  PSalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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/

                                                          

Salm Responsorjali           -   SALM 97 (98)

               R/  Il-Mulej għarraf is-salvazzjoni lill-ġnus!

Għannu lill-Mulej għanja ġdida;

għax għamel ħwejjeġ tal-għaġeb.

Ġibitlu r-rebħa l-leminija tiegħu,

u d-driegħ imqaddes tiegħu.                           R/

Għarraf il-Mulej is-salvazzjoni tiegħu,

f'għajnejn il-ġnus wera l-ġustizzja tiegħu.

Ftakar fit-tjieba u l-fedelta' tiegħu

mal-poplu ta' Iżrael.                                         R/

L-art kollha,  minn tarf għall-ieħor,

rat  is-salvazzjoni ta' Alla tagħna.

Għajtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej fl-art kollha,

infexxu fil-hena, iffirħu u għannu!                    R/

Reading 2                             2 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 him 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. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -  Qari mit-2 Ittra lil Timotju 2, 8 – 13

 Għażiż, ftakar f'Ġesu' Kristu, li qam mill-imwiet, li hu min-nisel ta' David, skond l-Evanġelju li ħabbart jien.  Għalih jien qiegħed inbati sa l-irbit tal-ktajjen bħallikieku   għamilt xi delitt.  Imma l-kelma ta' Alla mhijiex marbuta!   Għalhekk kollox nieħu bis-sabar għall-imħabba ta' dawk li Alla għażel, biex huma wkoll jiksbu s-salvazzjoni, li hi ta' glorja għal dejjem fi Kristu Ġesu'. Din hi kelma ta' min joqgħod fuqha:  jekk aħna mitna miegħu, għad ngħixu miegħu wkoll; jekk insofru bis-sabar, għad inslatnu miegħu wkoll; jekk niċħduh, jiċħadna hu wkoll; jekk nonqsu mill-kelma li tajna, hu jibqa' jżomm kelmtu; għax hu ma jistax iqarraq bih innifsu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

                                                               

Gospel              -  LuKe 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled 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 he 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 he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju  -  Qari skond San Luqa 17, 11-19

Ġara li huwa u sejjer lejn Ġerusalem,Ġesu għadda minn bejn is-Samarija u l-Galilija. Kif kien dieħel f'raħal, iltaqgħu miegħu għaxart irġiel morda bil-lebra.   Waqfu  'l bogħod minnu, għollew leħinhom u qalulu: "Ġesu, mgħallem, ikollok ħniena minna!"  Kif rahom, qalilhom: "Morru  uru rwieħkom lill-qassisin."  U ġara li, huma u sejrin, fiequ mill-marda tagħhom. Wieħed minnhom,  kif ra ruħu mfejjaq, raġa' lura jgħajjat  u jfaħħar lil Alla, inxteħet wiċċu fl-art f'riġlejn Ġesu' u raddlu ħajr. Issa dan kien Samaritan. U Ġesu' qabad u qal: "Mhux l-għaxra fiequ mil-lebbra?  Fejn huma d-disgħa l-oħra?   Ma kien hemm ħadd minnhom  li raġa' lura biex jagħti glorja lil Alla  ħlief dan il-barrani"  Imbagħad qallu:

"Qum u mur; il-fidi tiegħek salvatek." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY

A Day of Remembering

Fr. Thomas Rosica

Sunday's readings are about remembering and thanksgiving, healing and salvation. In the Old Testament reading (2 Kings 5:14-17), Naaman the Syrian remembers to thank Elisha for his cure, and one of the 10 lepers cured by Jesus remembered to turn up and thank his healer. In the reading from the Second Letter to Timothy (8-13), Paul asks Timothy (and us) to remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Recalling Jesus' death and resurrection fills us with gratitude, heals and strengthens us to face any adversity, difficulty and suffering, thus making us people of gratitude.

Naaman’s double cleansing

First let us consider the Old Testament reading. The imposing person of Naaman is told by the Prophet Elisha that he should seven times bathe in the Jordan River to be healed of his leprosy. Naaman replied indignantly, “Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” (Second Kings 5:12). Naaman was right: the rivers of Syria were undoubtedly better: They had more water; they were no match hygienically for the mountain spring waters of Damascus; ritually, it is the other way around.

Naaman was disappointed and expected this "man of God," Elisha, to perform a much more dramatic sign. Naaman even doubted the advice that he had received from the prophet. With great reluctance, he finally gives in to the pleading of his servants to do what the prophet said. Washing in the Jordan he was healed and his flesh became like that of a little child. The muddy waters cleansed Naaman of his leprosy -- but even more so of his arrogance.

The two mule-loads of earth that he requests will enable him to take a bit of Israelite earth to his native Syria, where he will build in Aram an altar to the God of Israel. Naaman has seen the power of the God of Israel and will worship none other. This is the final and most important lesson that he learns. Naaman, the foreigner, is not a member of the Chosen People. That God's mercy is to be extended to all the nations was a notion difficult for Israel to accept.

Along the journey to Jerusalem

Let us situate Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) in Luke’s narrative. This passage begins with the line: “As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem.” This is a reminder to us that Jesus is moving toward his passion, and this clearly rises above the words and events of this entire section of Luke’s Gospel (17:11-18:30). Most of the material in this section is unique to Luke. In 17:11 Luke can almost see Jerusalem in the distance and he points it out to the reader. This section will end in 18:30 because in 18:31, “Behold we are going up to Jerusalem,” Jesus will not leave the meaning of the journey to the disciples’ memory; he will prophesy for the third and final time his passion in the Holy City.

One grateful leper

This Sunday’s incident of the cleansed and grateful Samaritan leper is narrated only in Luke's Gospel and provides an instance of Jesus holding up a non-Jew (17:18) as an example to his Jewish contemporaries (cf. 10:33) where a similar purpose is achieved in the story of the Good Samaritan. Moreover, it is the faith in Jesus manifested by the foreigner that has brought him salvation (17:19).

Geography plays a special role in Luke’s Gospel and it is can be literary, theological or physical. In this story, the border between Galilee and Samaria is a fitting location for a story involving both Jesus and a Samaritan (verse 16). Lepers kept a distance from non-lepers (verse 12; Leviticus 13:45-46; Numbers 5:2), they formed their own colonies (Second Kings 7:3), and they positioned themselves near busy intersections and highways in order to beg for alms. To show oneself to a priest after healing was according to the law (Leviticus 14:2-32).

Understanding a complex story

This Gospel nevertheless raises several significant questions. Was the Samaritan, who lived outside the requirements of Judaism, included in the command to go to a priest? Why did Jesus reproach the nine for not returning (verses 17-18) when they had been told to go show themselves to a priest for a confirmation of their cure and a release from the status of uncleanness? Jesus’ words to the returning Samaritan: “Your faith has made you well,” seem rather odd, since all of them were healed!

Sunday’s Gospel must be understood as having two distinct parts: verses 11-14 and 15-19. The first part is a healing story with the standard elements: a cry for help; the response of Jesus; a healing in the act of obedience similar to that of 5:12-16. The second part of the story is the salvation of a foreigner. It is the foreigner who returns, who praises God and who expresses gratitude to Jesus. When Jesus says: “Your faith has made you well," the blessing certainly refers to some benefit other than that which all, including the other nine, had received earlier. The verb “made well” is the same very often translated “to be saved.”

Salvation by faith

This Gospel is about a foreigner with two counts against him; he received salvation by faith. The man was a Samaritan, a social outcast and a religious heretic suffering from leprosy. In the presence of Jesus, only the foreigner receives the full blessing of Jesus’ ministry. Once again Luke’s predilection for foreigners, outsiders, outcasts, the sick and sinners is very evident in this story.

This story anticipates the great story of the Acts of the Apostles: a growing blindness in Israel, and a receptivity among Gentiles. God's plan to save the world excludes no one. The healing of the 10 lepers builds on the theme of this universality by implying that the "foreigner" was the only one to return and give thanks to God for the healing received. The implication is clear, and Jesus makes it at other times as well: If those to whom the word of salvation came first did not accept it, it will nevertheless be broadcast to all the world. It is a bitter irony for all of us, that it was the leaders of Jesus' own people who rejected him! 

God's generosity is ungrudging and his mercy is showered upon all, both the grateful and the ungrateful. Nine of the 10 lepers healed did not return to praise God for their healing. Nevertheless, they are healed, and the wideness of God's mercy is exalted even in their ingratitude, and ours. Both the Naaman story and the parable of the 10 lepers teach us some powerful lessons about remembrance, gratitude, healing and salvation.

Signs of gratitude

Thankfulness is much more than saying "Thank you" because we have to. It is a way to experience the world, to perceive and to be surprised. Thankfulness is having open eyes and a short distance between the eyes and the heart. What are the signs of grateful people? Tears are always wiped away from the eyes of those who are thankful. The courage to thank, to see the gifts and experiences of this world all together as a gift, changes not only the person who gains this insight. It also changes the environment, the world, and those who surround that person. Grateful hearts are the hallmark of authentic Christians. Those who possess the virtue of gratitude are truly rich. They not only know how richly they have been blessed, but they continuously remember that all good things come from God.

To acknowledge others, to say thank you to others is the mark of greatness. If people associated with us are dispirited, dejected, unmotivated and uninspired, might it have something to do with the fact that we have never expressed our thanks and gratitude to them for who they are and what they do? People bound together by gratitude are always discovering and awakening abundant sources of strength. The more thankful a person is, the richer he or she is within. Thankful people store up in their grateful memory all the good experiences of the past, just as the French proverb states: “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”   

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