HOMILY FOR THE 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C
THEME: GRATITUDE IS THE FRUIT OF FAITH.
BY: Fr. Johnbosco Obika
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 2022
1st: 2Kgs 5:14-17
2nd: Tim. 2:8-13
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
*Faith and Gratitude*
Last Sunday we reflected on an important virtue and ingredient to our spiritual growth, FAITH. Today the church presents us with another important virtue, GRATITUDE. Faith and Gratitude are closely linked.
We should be grateful to God for his goodness, mercies, Providence, protection, and most importantly for qualifying us “to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light”. (Col. 1:12).
*Grateful and Faithful*
The first reading is about Naaman the leper who went back to give thanks after he was healed of leprosy. The gospel also narrates the story of the healing of the ten lepers, only one went back to thank the Lord. There is something about lepers the Lord wants us to note today. Lepers are unclean. They are stigmatized physically and spiritually. (Lev. 13:45). The Jews see leprosy as a consequence of sin. In our own situation, sin is also a kind of spiritual leprosy. Therefore, we in one way or the other have contacted leprosy. Fortunately, the Lord heals us like these lepers today. Secondly, lepers are in desperate need for solution. We have also been in desperate need to see our needs met. And the Lord has been faithful in this regard. He heals and provides for us like the ten lepers in the gospel. St. Paul recognizes this in the first reading, he was a leper but now liberated by the word of God which cannot be chained. Many Christians become faithless after receiving their miracle.
*Gratitude and Salvation*
When Jesus healed the ten lepers only one came back to give thanks. There is something peculiar and extraordinary about the one leper that came back to give thanks. He was a Samaritan. Samaritans were despised by the Jews. Ironically, the most despised was the most grateful. We often observe those who are least blessed in our eyes, the unfortunate in human reckoning are often the most grateful to God. Another beautiful thing about the one leper is that was the only who received both healing and salvation. (Go, your FAITH has saved you). The other nine received only healing. Gratitude opens the door to salvation. One can be healed without being saved. One can receive hundreds of miracles in his life time without receiving salvation.
*Gratitude, the Fruit of Faith*
Gratitude is the fruit of faith. It is only the one who believes in what God can do, what God has done and will do that give thanks to God. Take note of this: A grateful man is a man of faith! Faith inspires gratitude, gratitude enriches faith. Abraham, a man of faith, gave thanks to God recognising God’s hand in his success story. (Gen. 14:20; Hebrew 7:2).
What has been our attitude towards God? A thankful or a forgetful attitude? God gives and forgives but man gets and forgets. Have we been stingy even to God? When was the last time you did thanksgiving? Remember, attitude of gratitude attracts more beatitudes. HAPPY SUNDAY!
Fr. Johnbosco Obika loves you 😊 💕
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