Homily Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year. Year C - Sunday, October 13, 2019
First reading. 2 Kings 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm 97:1-4. "The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power"
Second reading. 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Alleluia, alleluia! For all things, give thanks to God. Because this is what he expects of you in Christ Jesus.
Gospel. Luke 17:11-19
Image credit: By Renata Sedmakova. Shutterstock licensed photo ID: 1074985211. PARMA, ITALY - APRIL 16, 2018: The fresco Jesus healing the ten lepers in byzantine iconic style in Baptistery probably by Grisopolo from 13. cent. -
++++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year. Year C - Sunday, October 13, 2019 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/28c-faith-hope-and-love-ep-181/s-ukEwd (EPISODE: 181)
+++++
PROLOGUE: >From the most ancient times... including in the time of Abraham and Moses.... right through to the time of Christ's disciples, one of the most important things for a true disciple is to continue to have and to foster a humble, grateful, remembering heart. When a a person or a community forgets the blessings of the past, and ceases to be grateful for what we have rather than be sad about what we have not.... everything goes awry. A grateful humble, remembering heart is our duty and our salvation... this is Faith, Hope and love.
+++
A writer, (whose name is not known), once declared….
"Happy are they who dwell not on what they have not,
but rather,
Happy are the ones who give thanks, for all that they do have."
"A boy by the name of Jermaine Gardner was born with one eye, no nose, and a misshapen face. Doctors said he would be severely disabled and likely with little chance of intellectual development. His mother wondered what would become of him in this world.
Four years later….. this young child was sitting in the day room of a Medical centre where he had received countless hours of treatment already…. This time he was not here for more medical treatment… but instead, he was playing a "thank-you" piano concert for 200 hospital employees. His astounding musical genius was discovered accidentally when he was still a baby. He now can wonderfully play over 200 classical compositions….. .... and he has played with world-famous singer and piano player…. Stevie Wonder.
The four-year-old's "thank-you" concert raises the important question: How grateful am I for what I have? And how do I show this gratitude?
This child grew up to be an adult..... In 2014 his mother wrote an update: Jacqueline Kess-Gardner says : "Jermaine was recently diagnosed with Aspergers and has embraced the diagnosis. He continues to perform, write music, and has, recently, authored a Science Fiction book, (which is a wonderful allegory or parable of the experience of people with Aspergers, pk). The journey continues and I continue to give God the glory. God is not finished with this story yet."
And the gospel today, is a very fitting reminder of the importance of being grateful for the gifts that God has given us…
So often it is all too easy to remember and stew over the things that have gone wrong….. the burdens and struggles…… but it can be at the expense of forgetting and minimising all the wonderful things that Go provides to us. There are so many things to be thankful for in life, that its so important to take the time out to remember them, and to give thanks…..
In the gospel featuring of the "ten lepers"…
I remember a few years ago, some prep-school students were drawing pictures based on the bible… their teacher asked them to draw their favourite bible story..... and one child had a drawing featuring Our Lord reaching out to touch ten, large, spotty, "cat-like" animals. When the teacher asked the child what this drawing was about…(which bible scene is this about??)..... the child replied confidently: "that's Jesus healing the ten leopards !" (Isn't that cute!!! … It makes sense, though, as children probably wouldn't likely recognize the word "leper" as different from leopard). What I would like to know, though, is when the "leopards got cured, did they lose their spots?" :)
In any case, The readings remind us that "There is nothing better, and more and more necessary than a grateful, remembering heart." (pk)
One of the lepers (not leopards!) was a Samaritan… Samaritans were hated by the Jewish people of the time….. they were not accepted …. But here was a group of lepers that included Jewish people and a Samaritan as well. What this shows is that these other Jewish lepers have accepted a Samaritan among them; rejection, marginalisation and Pain has brought them together. There is no distinction amongst these outcasts…….. suffering and exclusion has brought them together into one community. Also, Jesus accepts people with no distinctions……. They are all in need of healing, and he gives them all what they need…..irrespective of where they come from or what they believe.
However, the Samaritan is the only one who comes back to give thanks. In Jewish law… a person was not considered 'purified' or healed until the priests declared them clean again.. so they could be healed but not yet officially recognized… So, the other nine go off to fulfil the "letter of the law" of the requirements for purity, but the Samaritan realizes, 'wait a minute, I am ALREADY healed and purified by Jesus.. So, he immediately turns back to give thanks to the source of that healing and grace... Thanks to God, (to Jesus who is God made flesh). Samaritans were considered inferior and half pagan, and also Samaritans were considered "impure" and not to be associated with. Yet, the Samaritan here in this gospel is the only one who opens his heart to the Lord (v. 15) and who expresses the real content of purity.
The clean of heart are not those who merely observe rules and appear irreproachable, or who belong to a particular group of people, but rather those who are consistent and whose hearts and attitudes match their outward actions;……. People who act with humility, appreciation, and gratitude, for the overwhelming and generous graces that they have received.
The Samaritan is the one who remembers Jesus — This man is grateful; He is doubly marginalized as a leper and as a "foreigner". And so, while Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem where he will be killed at the hands of the defenders of formal legal rules about purity, Jesus gives life to this man who is truly pure in heart: "your faith has made you well."
It is all too easy to be tempted to "stew over" the things that have gone wrong… all the hurts and snubs and mistakes.. There are so many things to be grateful for in life, and it is so important to take the time out regularly, to remember the many blessings and graces…, and to give heartfelt thanks…..and keep them in the front of our minds. Especially for times of struggle.
In the old testament, the people of Israel regularly forgot the many blessings that God had given them and that led to grumbling and complaining. // Forgetting, grumbling and ruminating on the negative, can so easily lead to failing to count our blessings, which can then lead to turning away from God. …
St Paul in the second reading captures this well. He basically is saying… I have suffered everything for the gospel… however.. I will continue to trust in God and praise him… I will continue to focus on the GOOD news, because it is more powerful than bad news.. and no matter what happens.. there is more good news than bad.. and the good news of Christ will have the last word in everything…
It is really important to regularly sit at personal prayer-time, with a journal and a pen in hand…..and spend some quality time writing down any and every blessing, grace and joy that has come our way this day, this week.. this month.. or any time throughout our life…. In this prayer exercise, the object is to list ONLY the positive things that come to mind, the things we are grateful for… the countless gifts God has showered upon us….big and small…. Extraordinary as well as ordinary….. It will certainly keep our sense of perspective…. I truly believe that if we sat in prayer writing down all the blessings and gifts that we receive daily, we would fill that book of thanksgiving.. that book of graces… in days.. and by the end of the year we would have books piled up to the roof…..
Even specialists in emotional health remind us that what we focus on positive or negative can have profound effects on our sense of wellbeing… it's a bit like if we eat the wrong types of food .. not very nourishing food that is not full of the nutrition we need, if we eat too much junk food.. if we take into our bodies too much of the wrong things it will be bad for us… Same with what we focus on in our daily lives.. if we take in the negatives and minimize the positives… it will distort our perceptions and be bad for us. That is not to say we should be unrealistic or in denial about the many real difficult issues and struggles in life; but the sense of perspective helps us to keep turning to God and trusting that God's care is still with us.. God's blessings are, (as the psalms remind us), "not all in the past…" and we continue to praise God and trust in God's faithfulness and care.
Remembering Jesus Christ as St Paul asks us to do in the second reading…… (2 Tm 2:8) is about accepting Jesus' message of love without building up purely legal or religious boundaries and walls.
it always strikes me as incredibly important that the word we use to describe what we do here on Sundays as a community of faith is called "Eucharist"… which is an ancient Greek word that means 'thanksgiving.' This is not only what we do here on Sunday… It is also the people we are called to be in Christ… It is right and it is just to be people who 'always and everywhere…(- in word and in action) - give the Lord thanks and praise!"
+++++
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
MISSION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR C. BY MARK LINK S.J. - which quotes the Jermaine gardner story.
SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ.
Jermaine gardner: :
https://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Journey-Jermaine-Gardner-Story/dp/0972653805 update 2014 from Jacqueline Kess-Gardner : "I am the Author of this book and the journey continues. Jermaine was recently diagnosed with Aspergers and has embraced the diagnosis. He continues to perform, write music, and has, recently, authored a Sci Fi book. The journey continues and I continue to give God the glory. He is not finished with this story yet." (Please note this is not a sponsored advertisement, but a link to the biography which I find personally inspiring).
Image credit: By Renata Sedmakova. Shutterstock licensed photo ID: 1074985211. PARMA, ITALY - APRIL 16, 2018: The fresco Jesus healing the ten lepers in byzantine iconic style in Baptistery probably by Grisopolo from 13. cent. -
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
[{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.
For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us at paulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.
May God bless and keep you.
Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year. Year C
(Sunday, October 13, 2019)
(EPISODE: 181 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
+++++++++++++
{{Hi everyone}}
Coming together as Gods family, let us call to mind our sins.?
Lord Jesus, you call your people to turn away from sin: Lord, have mercy//You teach us wisdom, and write your truth in our inmost heart: Christ, have mercy//You forgive sins through the ministry of reconciliation: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
own preface
Various Needs and Occasions . IV
Communion side. pwk: RH
++++
{Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week.}
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Image credit: By Renata Sedmakova. Shutterstock licensed photo ID: 1074985211. PARMA, ITALY - APRIL 16, 2018: The fresco Jesus healing the ten lepers in byzantine iconic style in Baptistery probably by Grisopolo from 13. cent. -
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
[{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.
For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us at paulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.
May God bless and keep you.
Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year. Year C
(Sunday, October 13, 2019)
(EPISODE: 181 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
+++++++++++++
{{Hi everyone}}
Coming together as Gods family, let us call to mind our sins.?
Lord Jesus, you call your people to turn away from sin: Lord, have mercy//You teach us wisdom, and write your truth in our inmost heart: Christ, have mercy//You forgive sins through the ministry of reconciliation: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
own preface
Various Needs and Occasions . IV
Communion side. pwk: RH
++++
{Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week.}
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Article From Jet Magazine. (USA) Dec 5, 1988 edition P 14. Johnson Publishing Company.
No comments:
Post a Comment