{"id":3000,"date":"2019-10-13T11:51:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T15:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=3000"},"modified":"2019-10-13T11:51:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T15:51:11","slug":"28th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/28th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c\/","title":{"rendered":"28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

28<\/a>th<\/a><\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C<\/a>
2 Kings 5:14-17
Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 (see 2b)
2 Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19
October 13, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nour first reading begins today, Naaman is \u201cplunged into the Jordan seven\ntimes<\/em>.\u201d  This might remind us of how\nJesus was baptized in the Jordan river.  Following\nthe plunging, we are told that Naaman was cleaned of his leprosy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naaman\nwas not a Jew.  He was the commander of\nthe army of Aram.  He was highly\nrespected.  Yet, he was a leper.  He went to great lengths to be cured but had\nbeen unsuccessful.  When he heard of a\nprophet in Israel (Elisha) who could do miracles, he went to him.  Elisha told him to wash in the Jordan river\nseven times.  At first Naaman refused\nthinking the waters of the Jordan were no better than the waters of his own\ncountry but, at the urging of his servants, he did as Elisha directed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nhe obeyed<\/em><\/strong>,\nhe was cleansed of his leprosy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\nshould not see this as simply a physical cure. \nYes, the leprosy was gone but not only was Naaman physically cured, he\nwas spiritually transformed.  His own\nwords, \u201cNow I know there is no God in all the earth except in Israel<\/em>\u201d\nshow this.  His commitment to the one\ntrue God is pledged when he says, \u201cI will no longer offer holocaust or\nsacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus,\nNaaman begins<\/em><\/strong> a new life in true faith from being plunged in the\nwaters of the Jordan just as we begin new life in the waters of baptism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naaman\nexperienced a profound spiritual transformation at the Jordan but it was only a\nbeginning.  It began a spiritual journey for\nhim that would continue until he passed from this world to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back\nat the end of June, we heard from the ninth chapter of Luke\u2019s Gospel (13th<\/sup>\nSunday in Ordinary Time, Year C) how Jesus began his journey to Jerusalem.  He literally began a physical journey to\nJerusalem but it serves as a metaphor for the spiritual journey we begin in\nbaptism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s\ngospel starts with the words, \u201cAs Jesus continued<\/strong> his journey\nto Jerusalem<\/em>.\u201d  I want to emphasis \u201ccontinued<\/em>\u201d\nbecause that is exactly we what we are all called to do.  To follow Jesus is not simply a matter of\nbaptism.  It is a spiritual journey that\ncontinues in the Sacrament of Confirmation as the second Sacrament of\nInitiation.  We are continually\nstrengthened in the third Sacrament of Initiation, the Eucharist<\/em><\/strong>.  Baptism and Confirmation are received only\nonce in a lifetime for they leave an inedible mark on us, forever marking us as\nchildren of God.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nEucharist, the very Body and Blood of Christ<\/em><\/strong>, can be received\nover and over as we come humbly to God, professing that we need Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think\nof the ten lepers who come to Jesus and call out, \u201cJesus, Master! Have pity\non us.<\/em>\u201d  They call him \u201cmaster<\/em>\u201d\nbut this should not be seen simply as a master who is in charge in earthly\nterms.  They have heard of the miracles\nHe has done and see him as having mastery in healing.  They believe that Jesus can heal them so they\ncall out for help, \u201cHave pity of us!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without<\/em><\/strong>\nfirst healing them, He tells them, \u201cGo show yourselves to the priests.<\/em>\u201d  That\nwas what lepers did after they were healed but these lepers were not yet\nhealed.  Yet, they went as Jesus\ndirected.  They must have done this in\nfaith.  In faith, they were healed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nhealing Naaman, in healing the ten lepers, \u201cThe Lord has revealed to the\nnations his saving power.<\/em>\u201d   How God\nhealed them, we do not know.  That\u2019s what\nmakes it \u201crevelation.\u201d  If we knew how\nGod did this in medical terms, it would be \u201cknowledge.\u201d  But these healings went beyond human knowledge.  God used these healings to reveal himself, to\nreveal how He can help us when we surrender ourselves to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nwould imagine that most, if not all of us, have asked God for healing either\nfor ourselves or for others.  I suspect\nmost of our prayers for healing are for physical healing.  Is that the healing we most need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nabout what is in our hearts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naaman\nwas cleaned of his leprosy and <\/em><\/strong>became a believer.  Ten lepers were cleansed.  One returned, \u201crealizing he had been\nhealed,<\/em>\u201d glorified God, and \u201cfell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him<\/em>.\u201d  He realized the significance of his\nhealing.  He realized Jesus as the source\nof his healing and gave thanks with an \u201cattitude of gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nhave been a priest for a little over twelve years now.  I won\u2019t begin to know how many people I have\nanointed in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  It would be many.  Of course, some of them were expected to die\nand did.  Of those who lived, I never saw\nanyone receive an immediate physical healing. \nConversing with them, what I have heard is them speak of receiving a\nsense of peace in the anointing, a sense of knowing God is with them.  There is the grace of the Sacrament.  There is spiritually healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nsame is true for Baptism and Confirmation. \nWe don\u2019t see a physical change but the Holy Spirit is upon them.  Likewise, in receiving the Eucharist, the\nvery Body and Blood of Jesus<\/em><\/strong>, we are transformed not physically but\nspiritually when we open ourselves to what we receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May\nwe always live in gratitude for what God gives us in the sacraments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C2 Kings 5:14-17Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 (see 2b)2 Timothy 2:8-13Luke 17:11-19October 13, 2019 As our first reading begins today, Naaman is \u201cplunged into the Jordan seven times.\u201d  This might remind us of how Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river.  Following the plunging, we are told that Naaman was …<\/p>\n

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