Christ Jesus preaches the Good News of peace to all.  To be his means to be a foreigner no more, but fellow citizen with all those who are his. 

The foreigner, who sees that has been healed, lives by faith.  The other nine, in turn, for whom healing has also taken place, live by the law.

For they keep on walking so they can be before priests who will proclaim them clean, as the law orders.  The Samaritan, though, goes back and praises God in a loud voice as he walks.  He, then, falls at Jesus’ feet and thanks him.

And Jesus shows dismay that only the foreigner has gone back to do what is right:  give glory to God.  The healer also affirms the faith of the one he has healed.

It is his faith in Jesus that saves the foreigner, not the law.  And there is no doubt that the Samaritan is of those folks who are least expected to be just.  Still and all, he shows, as the Syrian Naaman, a faith that gives thanks.

For sure, to give thanks so is to be lowly (TWVDP 58).  For the one who gives thanks, yes, falls at Jesus’ feet.  The foreigner cannot be far from being of those who go into the kingdom of God before those who think they are above others.

No, those who think they are just do not like to hear of God’s favors to one foreigner or other.  For they think that God’s favors can only be theirs.  After all, Abraham is their father.  Besides, they believe they have a right to prizes from God since they keep his laws and do good works.

So, it does not cross their minds that God can raise up children to Abraham from stones.  That God does not play favorites, that he saves and makes right by his free will.  No, they are not at all like the simple and lowly who live by faith.

Lord Jesus, make us, simple and lowly, always give thanks to God, who alone is the author of all that is good (SV.EN VII:305).  Show that we are grateful to him for his boundless love and compassion and for sending you to us.  For you save us and give us life, nourishing us with your body and blood.  And you are always true to us who stay untrue to you.  Also, you make one of all of us; in you there is no Jew or foreigner, but children all of Abraham.

12 October 2025
28th Sunday in O.T. (C)
2 Kgs 5, 14-17; 2 Tim 2, 8-13; Lk 17, 11-19