Year C
Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.
Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.
Find out more about how we can mark this special day in our liturgy.
See our music recommendations for the liturgy.
The Themes:
In both the Old and New Testaments there is evidence of leprosy, or skin disorders, that are distressing to those who are afflicted, resulting in them being banished from community due to fears of contagion - resulting in a loss of identity, family and wider relationships.
The central issues in today’s narratives is that of being different, fearful, ostracised, and ‘unclean’ resulting from the condition; in addition there is also an association with moral culpability, a deviation perhaps of faith commitments.
2nd Kings 5:14-17
There are two significant readings today that speak to the conditions described above.
The first reading from the second book of Kings needs to be read in full from the beginning of chapter 5 in order to understand the many levels that this fascinating text represent:
These levels are (1) the significance of God’s prophet Elisha bringing healing and restoration to a commanding general whose status has been established in a foreign country - in other words a foreigner; (2) by reluctantly following instructions (simple as they were), the general eventually finds the humility to bathe seven times in the Jordan river, and he is cleansed - no doubt a surprise since he expected something more profound from the prophet due to his exalted military status. He was cleansed, and the text describes his restoration this way: “ So he went down and immersed himself seven times, in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.” (Jerusalem Bible). Returning to Elisha the general gave praise and thanksgiving to the God of Israel - and took away with him two sacks of soil that would become his sanctuary of gratitude, and a reminder of the gift of restoration from God’s servant Elisha!
Luke: 17:11-19
The same theme is picked up in Luke’s gospel - that of ten men suffering with leprosy - “ Jesus, Master take pity on us” was their plea for healing and restoration. Jesus heals them directly; one man a Samaritan (a foreigner), seeing himself healed, turned back to Jesus to acknowledge his healing, praising God for the gift, and presumably future restoration to his former status. The other nine who were probably of the Jewish faith did not return to give thanks - they took the healing for granted and perhaps saw the healing as a form of magic, whereas the Samaritan saw the deeper reality of his healing, namely the power of God at work in Jesus and a recognition of his salvation through this encounter.
The Prayer after Communion of today’s Mass is worth a small homily in itself. It reminds us that Catholic faith and practice is not merely ‘another religion, nor even a ‘how to get to heaven’ but is unique and uniquely true: simply it is the coming of God into this world with the divine intent to ‘divinise’ humankind, to make humanity ‘sharers of his divine nature’ (see 2 Peter 1:4). The Greek Fathers called this ‘Theosis.’ It is what the Gospel and the sacraments are all about. It is,ultimately what we mean when we speak of ‘Salvation.’
The Gospel about the cleansed Leper’s thanksgiving is echoed by one of the Common Preface texts of our Missal, number 4. It is a lovely little prayer:
... although you have no need of our praise,
yet our thanksgiving is itself your gift,
since our praises add nothing to your greatness
but profit us for salvation,
through Christ our Lord.
One of the many things I learned many years ago from Jewish friends at school was that you bless God for everything. Blessing and thanksgiving are central to Christian prayer too.
Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.
Amazing grace (CFE40, L846, LHON131, TCH203)
Bless the Lord my soul (CFE81, L813, LHON862)
God is love, his the care (CFE215, L794, LHON290)
Let us with a gladsome mind (CFE362, L707, LHON428, TCH237)
Praise my soul the King of heaven (CFE602, L807 LHON576, TCH258)
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
