Faith-Prayer-Gratitude-Worship

HOMILY SUNDAY 28-C

Salvation Here and Now

(2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalm 98; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19)

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There is an interplay in the readings today of humble faith, humility and gratitude. That interplay is also virtually a mini-course on prayer.

In the second reading, St. Paul goes to the heart of the matter when he proclaims Good News – Jesus Christ is risen from the dead; he has risen to a new life. Paul believes so strongly in this Good News that he is willing to suffer so that the chosen, those who believe in Jesus as Risen Lord, will have salvation, and the eternal glory that goes with it. This is a powerful passage that we have to unpack.

In one sentence, we are to strive to be numbered among the chosen, so that we will have salvation here and now, and eternal glory that goes with it. Faith, humility and gratitude are the keys to that salvation and glory. And a strong life of prayer is part and parcel of that salvation.

In the Gospel, we see that Jesus is one who crosses borders, who is not held back by cultural, social divisive mores. The number 10 suggests perfection, in this case, something awesome is about to happen; it creates expectation. The lepers address Jesus by name and call him master, which is unusual. They remain at a distance, quite normal, as leprosy made one unclean. The leper suffered both from physical illness as well as personal and psychological separation and isolation. Their lot was indeed a deplorable and miserable one, banned from society and destined to live out their lives as members of a leper colony. Such was their deprivation that Jews and Samaritans lived together, something that would be abhorrent in normal society of that time.

The lepers obey Jesus’ word, and are healed as a result of their faith in his word and their response by setting out to see the priests. However, only the Samaritan experiences the salvation Paul speaks of, along with physical healing. His prayer was not only petition, but also thanksgiving and praise. The other nine lepers healed were just concerned about fulfilling the law, while the Samaritan leper put relationship, contact with Jesus above the law. In all of this, Jesus is not judging either; he is just pointing out the new reality of a personal God and the priority that must have in our lives.

In the first reading, Naaman also prays a prayer of petition, as he requests healing from the prophet Elisha. Finally, he humbly obeys the word of the prophet and is healed. He also undergoes an interior change and comes to believe in the God of Israel. He actually takes the soil of Israel with him as an effort to grow closer to this God he has come to know.

The events in both the Gospel and the first reading teach us four essentials of discipleship. The first is humble faith in God and prayer from the heart, prayer of petition. The second is obedience to Jesus’ Word and a desire for a closer relationship with him. The third is gratitude for that relationship expressed through a prayer of thanksgiving. And the fourth is praise and worship within the relationship.

Gustavo Gutierrez, of Liberation Theology fame, who spoke in Edmonton some years ago, understood this dynamic of faith well. He mentioned that if any in his audience felt driven to go to Latin America because they were angry at the injustice experienced there, they should stay home because there are already enough angry people in Latin America and they would not be of any help. If they wanted to go because they felt guilty for all they had in the north and there was so much poverty in Latin America, they should not go – there were already enough guilty people there. But if they wanted to come because they were grateful for all that they had received from God, then they should come. They would help, because more grateful people were always needed in Latin America.

Indirectly, these readings offer us a mini-course on prayer. The three elements of a healthy prayer life included in these readings are prayer as first of all petition, then thanksgiving or gratitude, and finally praise and worship.

A fourth element of prayer not included in these readings is the prayer of adoration, or contemplation. That would take us into the realm of Centering prayer championed by the well-known Thomas Keating, as well as the prayer of contemplation, just being in the presence of God, wasting time with God.

The Eucharist is a prayer of praise and thanksgiving par excellence: we listen to the Word of Jesus; then we offer to the Father the sacrifice of Jesus in praise and adoration and thanksgiving, then the Father gives Jesus back to us in communion. This is truly worship in Spirit and Truth.

In the end, we are to strive to be numbered among the chosen, so that we will have salvation here and now, and eternal glory that goes with it. Faith, humility and gratitude are the keys to that salvation and glory. And a strong life of prayer is part and parcel of that salvation.