12 October 2, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C), The Action of Gratitude: Returning to Give Thanks

 

The themes derived from our readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, strongly center on the proper response to God's gifts of healing and salvation.

These themes are:

  1. Giving Thanks to God (Gratitude):

    • The most prominent theme, drawn directly from the Gospel of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). Only the Samaritan, the foreigner, returned to glorify God and thank Jesus.

    • In the First Reading (2 Kings 5:14-17), Naaman, the Syrian, also a foreigner, returns to Elisha to acknowledge the one true God and declares he will only offer thanksgiving to the Lord.

    • What can we do? In gratitude to God, we recognize and acknowledge every blessing as a gift from God, expressing thanks to God in prayer and worship (like the Samaritan who returned, glorifying God in a loud voice and falling at Jesus' feet), and showing gratitude in daily life.

  2. Persevering in Faith and Witness (Fidelity/Endurance):

    • The Second Reading (2 Timothy 2:8-13) calls for endurance and faithfulness in the Christian life.

    • What can we do? We remember Jesus Christ, the hope of the Gospel, bearing with everything for the sake of those who are chosen (the Jews). Taking his example, we also persevere with Christ, knowing that "if we persevere, we shall also reign with him." This is a call to continuous conversion and living an authentically Christian life.

  3. Acknowledging God's Saving Power (True Worship/Stewardship):

    • Both the First Reading and the Gospel highlight the recognition of God by "outsiders." Naaman proclaims, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel," and is determined to worship only the Lord. The Samaritan returns to thank the true source of his healing.

    • What can we do? We recognize the One True God as the source of all blessings, offering our lives as acts of thanksgiving and worship to the Lord alone, and living as grateful stewards of the gifts we have received.

In essence, the readings challenge the faithful to move beyond simply receiving God's blessings (like the nine who were cleansed) and take the decisive action of returning to God with a heart full of gratitude and worship.

"Get used to lifting your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because He gives you this and that. Because you have been despised. Because you haven't what you need or because you have.
"Because He made His Mother so beautiful, His Mother who is also your Mother. Because He created the sun and the moon and this animal and that plant. Because He made that man eloquent and you, He left tongue-tied.
"Thank Him for everything, because everything is good" 
(St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 268)
 



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