Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
2 Kings 5:14–17; 2 Timothy 2:8–13; Luke 17:11–19
“Gratitude: The Faith That Heals”
Friends,Today’s readings invite us into the sacred posture of gratitude — a faith-filled response that transforms healing into wholeness and blessing into relationships.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals ten lepers—ten outcasts who cry out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Their condition had not only destroyed their bodies but also exiled them from family, community, and temple worship. In an act of compassion, Jesus restores them all. But the story does not end there. Only one—a Samaritan, a foreigner—returns to give thanks. He falls at Jesus’ feet, glorifying God. Then comes the remarkable line: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
Nine received healing, but only one was made whole. Why? Because the tenth leper’s gratitude was more than good manners, it was an act of faith. Jesus Himself says, “Your faith has saved you.” Gratitude, therefore, is not just a polite response to blessing; it is the completion of faith—the heart’s recognition that everything we are and have comes from the hand of God.
1. Gratitude Transforms Healing into Relationship
Naaman in the first reading shows the same movement. At first proud and resistant, he finally humbles himself, bathes in the Jordan, and is cleansed of his leprosy. His healing leads him not just to relief, but to conversion. He returns to the prophet Elisha, declaring, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.”
Naaman’s gratitude transforms him from a man who sought a cure into a man who found faith. True thanksgiving always leads us closer to the Giver, not just the gift.
Healing is not complete until it becomes thanksgiving.Like the Samaritan leper, faith-filled gratitude transforms physical or emotional healing into spiritual wholeness—a living relationship with God, not just relief from suffering.
“Your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17:19)
How often, brothers and sisters, do we pray intensely when we are in need— “Lord, help me,” “Lord, heal my child,” “Lord, fix this situation”—but then move on once the crisis passes? Gratitude is what turns an answered prayer into an ongoing relationship.
2. Gratitude Opens the Heart to Humility and Joy
Gratitude is born of humility, the recognition that we are not self-made, that life is grace. The ungrateful heart lives in illusion: “I deserve this.” But the grateful heart knows, “I have received more than I deserve.”
St. Paul, in the second reading, reminds Timothy that faithfulness endures through suffering: “If we persevere, we shall also reign with Him.” Gratitude allows us to persevere even in hardship, because we see God’s hand not only in blessings, but in trials that purify and strengthen us. Gratitude turns endurance into joy.
A grateful Christian is never truly poor, even in loss, because he or she has learned to recognize the presence of God in every circumstance. A grateful heart recognizes that everything is gift.Humility opens our eyes to see God’s grace even in trials and to say, “I have received more than I deserve.” Gratitude born of humility brings peace and joy even in hardship.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
3. Gratitude Leads to Mission
The Samaritan’s thanksgiving became his testimony. He returned glorifying God in a loud voice. That is the mark of an evangelizer—someone who cannot contain the joy of grace received.
Our world today is full of complaints, entitlement, and negativity. But one grateful heart can change an atmosphere, a family, even a workplace. Gratitude is contagious—it multiplies grace.
As Christians, we are called to live as Eucharistic people. The word Eucharist itself means thanksgiving. Every Mass is an act of gratitude: we come together to remember, to offer, and to give thanks for what God has done through Christ. When we receive the Body and Blood of the Lord, we are reminded that everything we are is gift—and our lives are meant to become a gift in return. True thanksgiving moves us outward—it becomes witness.When we glorify God for what He has done, we spread hope and strengthen others. Gratitude is contagious; it turns believers into bearers of joy and evangelizers of grace.
“Go, your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17:19)
So today, let us learn from Naaman and from the Samaritan leper.Let us not only seek God’s help, but return to give Him thanks.Let us remember that gratitude is not the end of healing—it is its perfection.
Have a splendid day, and week ahead!
Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
Exodus 17:8–13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2; Luke 18:1–8
Keep Praying, Keep Hoping, Keep Trusting
Dear friends,
Today’s Gospel tells us the story of a widow—a woman with no power, no voice, no advocate—pleading for justice from a judge who neither fears God nor respects people. Yet this widow does not give up. Day after day, she returns with the same plea: “Grant me justice.” And eventually, even this hardened, indifferent judge gives in—not out of compassion, but because her persistence wears him down.
Jesus shares this story not to tell us that God is like the unjust judge, but to show us that God is very much the opposite. If even an unjust judge can respond to persistent requests, how much more will a loving, attentive, just God respond to His children who cry out to Him day and night?
Let’s be honest—there are times when we pray, and nothing seems to change. We cry out in grief, in frustration, in fear. We pray for healing, for peace, for resolution, and heaven feels silent. We start to wonder: Does God hear me? Does my prayer matter? Should I keep going?
Jesus answers us with a resounding yes. This parable is for anyone who has ever been tempted to stop praying. Anyone who has grown tired. Anyone who feels ignored by heaven. Jesus is urging us: Don’t give up. Don’t lose heart. Your prayer matters. Your faith matters.
“As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight.” In this passage, Moses intercedes for the Israelites in battle against Amalek. If he holds up his hands in prayer, the people prevail. When he tires, Aaron and Hur support him—symbolizing the power of intercessory prayer and communal support during spiritual battles.
“Remain faithful to what you have learned… be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” Paul encourages Timothy to stay rooted in Scripture and to proclaim the Word boldly. This reinforces the need for spiritual perseverance and trust in God’s truth—even when it’s difficult.
And in the story of the widow, Jesus shows us what real, living faith looks like—not always loud, not always dramatic, but steady. Faith that keeps knocking. Faith that holds on. Faith that refuses to let go of hope, even when nothing seems to be changing.
Three Takeaways:
1. Prayer is not about wearing God down—it’s about wearing down our fear.
We are not trying to change God’s heart. We’re letting God change ours. Persistent prayer shapes us. It deepens our trust. It teaches us patience. It stretches our faith. It turns our focus away from what we lack to the One who provides. It doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay—it means believing that God is still working even when we don’t see it yet.
2. God hears every cry—especially from those the world overlooks.
The widow in Jesus’ time had no status. She was poor. Powerless. Alone. And yet—she mattered to God. So do the overlooked, the ignored, the tired, the grieving, the desperate. Maybe that’s you today. If it is, know this: You are seen. You are heard. And your voice matters. God is a just judge, a good Father, and a merciful friend. He has not forgotten you.
3. Faith is not measured by feelings—but by faithfulness.
When Jesus ends this parable, He asks a haunting question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” That question is for us. Will He find a people who, despite trials, keep believing? Who, when prayers seem unanswered, still trust? Who, even through tears, still say: “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief”?
Beloved, don’t give up. Keep praying. Even if you’re tired. Keep hoping. Even if you’re heartbroken. Keep trusting. Even when the answer hasn’t come yet. Because you are not pleading with an indifferent judge. You are crying out to a God who knows you, who loves you, and who always—always—responds in mercy.
May we be found faithful. May our prayer become our strength. And may our persistence lead us not only to justice, but to deeper intimacy with the God who never stops listening.
Amen.
Have a splendid day!
