October 13, 2019
XXVIII Sunday of Ordinary Time
Year C
Authentic faith, as well as not claiming rewards (as the saying about “useless servants” has revealed) teaches us to give thanks in everything.
Last Sunday, with the saying about the so-called “useless servants”, Jesus invited us to consider ourselves simple servants, who must not wait for any reward, because they did what they had to do. This episode is immediately followed by the episode of the ten lepers: only one of them – the Samaritan – returns to give thanks. Here is the other face of gratuitousness: if we do not have to expect thanks, we must neveertheless be able to thank. Authentic faith does not make us expect anything for what we have done, but it educates us to give thanks for all that we have received. Jesus himself had healed all ten lepers for free, without conditions. The Samaritan, the only one who returns to give thanks does it entirely for free, because it is right to do so, he is happy to do so. Perhaps also for the joy of seeing Jesus again, since he now understands that the encounter with him is worth more than healing. Also Naaman the Syrian wants to take with him a bit of land of Israel to preserve the beauty of the encounter with the “only Lord”. As St. Paul writes to Timothy, authentic faith means to want to die with Jesus to live with him forever. In communion with him there is true healing, true salvation.
Commentary by Comunità di Dumenza
Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey