Gospel Reflection for 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Sister Veronica Lawson rsm (East Ballarat) offers a reflection on the Gospel for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C (Luke 17:11-19).
Every day we hear news of ethnic discrimination somewhere in our world. The worst atrocities are frequently perpetrated between those who have differing understandings of the same faith. History is littered with examples,
Today’s gospel story invites us to reflect on the shared humanity and potential goodness of all people. It continues last week’s focus on the saving power of faith. Just four Greek words make up the most telling sentence in the story: ‘And he was Samaritan!’ A new element has entered into the narrative: faith is not the sole preserve of the Jewish people. A despised half-Jew can have faith, faith buried deep within and actively at work like the life in the mustard seed.
Jesus is approached by ten lepers in a village in border territory. All have been excluded from participation in village life on account of their skin disease. All beg for inclusion, expressed in terms of mercy (eleos). All follow the prescription of the Law of Moses to show themselves to the priests (Leviticus 13-14). All are declared ‘clean’. Only one turns back, praises God in the market place, falls at Jesus’ feet and thanks him. Readers do not know to this point whether the village and its inhabitants are Galilean or Samaritan. They only know that the village is situated in the region between Galilee and
When suffering tests our fidelity, we might find inspiration in the unwavering faith of Dr Mohamed Haneef who, in the face of exclusion, can thank God and place his trust in the words of the Qu’ran: “Truth will come out and falsehood will vanish and falsehood is forever to be vanished.” The measure of our faith, however, is probably our capacity to acknowledge the Source of our well-being and give thanks for the blessings that come our way.