Naaman the leper went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy and he was clean.
Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!” He urged him to accept, but he refused. Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David-that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful-for he cannot deny himself.
Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!” He urged him to accept, but he refused. Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord.
Second reading 2 Timothy 2:8-13
The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful-for he cannot deny himself.
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
Reflection
By Fely C. Santiago
“He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks”
Imagine out of the 10 lepers that were healed only 1 returned to give thanks to the Lord! Where are the other 9? Most of the time we are like this. We pray so hard and when blessings start coming we sometimes forget to thank the Lord.
There is so much to be grateful for. We need to remind ourselves of this from time to time. Sometimes in our desire to get more and achieve more, we sometimes forget what we already have so we become unhappy and discontented.
Spend some time counting your blessings and being grateful for them even the small ones and even the fact that we wake up each day! Gratitude brings more blessings.
But the biggest challenge is to embrace gratitude in the face of adversity. It requires a heart open to grace. But the surest signs that gratitude is God’s preferred path are the inner peace and deep joy that remain undeterred despite the struggles. Truly it’s a special grace to still be grateful even in sickness, losses, or irritating traffic! Consciously saying, “Thank you,” to God for my personal challenges, daily crosses and wounds, and the storms of life remain counter-intuitive to my human nature, but with practice, the better choice of gratitude grows ever clearer. My transformation toward living in gratitude continues, but my journey is enriched with every “Thank you” expressed, for whatever God sends.
Take the time to count your blessings each day. I have developed the habit to write down at least 10 blessings and why I am grateful for each day and I review the lists especially when I’m feeling down for unanswered prayers. I just realized how blessed I am. Do the same…
“He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks”
Imagine out of the 10 lepers that were healed only 1 returned to give thanks to the Lord! Where are the other 9? Most of the time we are like this. We pray so hard and when blessings start coming we sometimes forget to thank the Lord.
There is so much to be grateful for. We need to remind ourselves of this from time to time. Sometimes in our desire to get more and achieve more, we sometimes forget what we already have so we become unhappy and discontented.
Spend some time counting your blessings and being grateful for them even the small ones and even the fact that we wake up each day! Gratitude brings more blessings.
But the biggest challenge is to embrace gratitude in the face of adversity. It requires a heart open to grace. But the surest signs that gratitude is God’s preferred path are the inner peace and deep joy that remain undeterred despite the struggles. Truly it’s a special grace to still be grateful even in sickness, losses, or irritating traffic! Consciously saying, “Thank you,” to God for my personal challenges, daily crosses and wounds, and the storms of life remain counter-intuitive to my human nature, but with practice, the better choice of gratitude grows ever clearer. My transformation toward living in gratitude continues, but my journey is enriched with every “Thank you” expressed, for whatever God sends.
Take the time to count your blessings each day. I have developed the habit to write down at least 10 blessings and why I am grateful for each day and I review the lists especially when I’m feeling down for unanswered prayers. I just realized how blessed I am. Do the same…
Prayer
Lord Jesus for whatever life may bring I say THANK YOU! Give me the grace of a grateful heart all the time because when there is gratitude and humility, there is peace. Thank you for everything You have given me, Lord including the gift of life that I sometimes take for granted. All this we pray in Your name, Amen.
Lord Jesus for whatever life may bring I say THANK YOU! Give me the grace of a grateful heart all the time because when there is gratitude and humility, there is peace. Thank you for everything You have given me, Lord including the gift of life that I sometimes take for granted. All this we pray in Your name, Amen.
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