Homily of Twenty-Eight Sunday in
Ordinary Time Year C
The readings of today invite us
to reflect on the importance of gratitude. When Naaman bathed in the River
Jordan as directed by Elisha, “he was cleansed of his leprosy.” He was grateful
to God and returned to Elisha with a gift to express his gratitude. Naaman was
Syrian. Syria, then, was considered a pagan territory because they were Baal
worshippers. Naaman said to Elisha, “Now I know that there is no God in all the
earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.” Ironically,
this happened during the last years of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, and
their children who led the Israelites to idolatry. While the Chosen People were
ungrateful to God by worshipping pagan gods, Naaman the Syrian expressed
gratitude to God and proclaimed, “Now I know that there is no God in all the
earth, except in Israel.”
In the Gospel, Jesus healed ten
lepers. Nine were Jews, and one was a Samaritan. Again, the nine Jews who were
healed did not return to Jesus to express gratitude. The Samaritan did. The
Jews looked down on the Samaritans as pagans and foreigners. Yet, it was the
‘pagan’ (the foreigner) “who returned [to Jesus] to give thanks to God.” The
Jews took their healing for granted. Many times, we take our blessings for
granted by not showing appreciation.
There is a saying that
ingratitude is the worst of vices. This is because every vice is rooted in
ingratitude to God. For example, when I don’t forgive those who offend me, I am
ungrateful to God who forgives me all the time. We are invited today to live
life of gratitude: gratitude to God and gratitude to fellow human beings. We
are invited to limit our complaints, fault finding, whining, and nagging, and
to increase our gratefulness, appreciation and thanks.
St Paul urges us, “Give thanks
always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus to God the Father”
(Ephesians 5:20). “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the
will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The Gospel of
today emphasizes the importance of gratitude: “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.’” The Psalmist says, “Those who
offer praise as a sacrifice honor me.” Giving gratitude to God is a recognition
that all we have is a gift from God (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Jesus spoke harshly to his people
due to their ingratitude. He scolded them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to
you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than
for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go
down to the netherworld.’”
Ingratitude can be very costly.
In the Old Testament, the journey of forty days became forty years for the
Israelites due to their ingratitude, and the ungrateful generations did not
reach the Promised Land.
We can conclude with the
following observations:
Expression of gratitude is a
prayer in itself that God may give us more opportunities to thank him.
Expression of gratitude
encourages, enlivens and empowers. Lack of gratitude discourages and
diminishes.
Expression of gratitude is
uplifting and promotes healthy environment. Ingratitude is sickening, and
creates anxiety, stress, aches and pains.
Expression of gratitude is
delightful. Ingratitude is repulsive.
Expression of gratitude brings
more blessings. Ingratitude takes away blessings. The second reading says, “If
we deny him, he will deny us.” May this not be our portion. Amen.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP
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