Give Thanks
HOMILY FOR THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY – 12 OCTOBER 2025
Winston Churchill loved to tell the story of the little boy who fell off a pier into deep ocean water. An older soldier, heedless of the great danger to himself, dove into the stormy water, struggled with the boy, and, finally exhausted, brought him to safety. Two days later, the boy’s mother came with him to the same pier, seeking the sailor who had rescued her son. Finding him, she asked, “You dove into the ocean to bring my boy out?” “I did,” he replied. The mother quickly demanded, “Then where’s his hat?”
Why did only one man, cleansed from leprosy, return to thank Jesus? Someone once made a list of nine possible reasons why the other nine did not return: One waited to see if the cure was real. One waited to see if it would last. One said he would see Jesus later. One decided that he had never had leprosy in the first place. One said he would have gotten well anyway. One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "Oh well, Jesus didn't really do anything." One said, "Any rabbi could have done it." One said, "I was already much improved." We might recognise ourselves in one or two of these reasons, in terms of our sense of gratitude before God.
The Story of Naaman the Leper
In the first reading, from the Second Book of Kings, we hear the last part of the story of Naaman the leper. The background is worth recalling because it is such a magnificent story that teaches powerful spiritual truths. Naaman was a Syrian army general, renowned for his military success— even against Israel. When he contracted the dreaded skin disease of leprosy, it was devastating, not only personally but also politically. It was a little Israelite slave girl, someone of no standing in Syrian society, who told Naaman's wife about the prophet Elisha in the land of Israel. Naaman's wife passed the information on to him.
Naaman went to Elisha, who would not even go out to meet him. Instead, he sent a messenger instructing Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River to be cured. For a proud general, this must have been humiliating. First, the prophet would not see him personally; then, to make matters worse, the message was delivered by a mere servant.
To add to the humiliation, Naaman was told to wash in the muddy waters of the Jordan. I have been at the Jordan River several times—it truly is a humble, muddy river. No wonder Naaman was offended and compared it unfavourably with the clear rivers of his own country. Yet, persuaded by his servants, he finally obeyed Elisha's command and went to wash seven times in the Jordan. There our first reading begins: his leprosy was cured, and his skin became like that of a little child. Naaman returned to Elisha to give thanks, but Elisha refused any gifts. Naaman was converted to faith in the God of Israel.
Humility Made Healing and Conversion Possible
Naaman's healing and conversion were made possible by humility. He had to humble himself in order to be healed. This is the great lesson for us. It takes humility to admit our need for God, for the washing of Baptism and Reconciliation, and for the other sacraments. If we think we are fine as we are, we act out of pride and block the healing action of God in our lives. Once we receive God's forgiveness and healing, our lives should become a song of thanksgiving.
This theme continues in the Gospel, in the story of the ten lepers who came to Jesus for healing. Jesus sent them to the priests to show themselves, as required by Jewish Law for anyone healed of leprosy who sought readmission to society. All ten were cleansed, but only one—a Samaritan— returned to thank Jesus.
Remember that Samaritans were despised by the Jews, and vice versa. They were the mixed-race descendants of the ten northern tribes of Israel conquered by the Assyrians some 700 years before Christ. Jews regarded them as foreigners who had corrupted the true faith.
Yet it was the Samaritan who came back, praising God loudly, falling at the feet of Jesus and thanking him. It was particularly provocative of Jesus to point out that only this "foreigner" returned to give glory to God. By holding up a Samaritan as an example of genuine gratitude and worship, Jesus challenged his Jewish listeners.
Only This Foreigner Returned to
In both the first reading and the Gospel, foreigners were cured of leprosy— Naaman the Syrian and the Samaritan leper. Both responded with gratitude and worship.
The lesson for us is clear: we too have been healed of spiritual leprosy through the washing of Baptism and the forgiveness of our sins. Our proper response is gratitude and worship. The Eucharist—the Mass—is the central act of our Catholic worship. It is our highest expression of thanksgiving for all that God has done and continues to do for us. The word "Eucharist" itself comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving."
And in a beautiful irony, our thanksgiving benefits us. God does not need our praise—our worship adds nothing to his greatness. As one of the Prefaces of the Mass says, our desire to praise God is itself his gift to us. We need to give thanks, for it transforms us. Gratitude and praise give us a new outlook on life; they are expressions of faith that bring out the best in us. Living with gratitude is a key to happiness, and it deepens our relationship with God.
Know Your Wounds and Reach Out to God There
What can we learn from Naaman today? His desperation, his sickness, and his humiliation led him to seek help. Every one of us carries some wound or weakness beyond our power to heal. We all have a form of spiritual leprosy. Saint Paul called his own weakness a "thorn in the flesh." We do well to look honestly within ourselves and acknowledge our brokenness. That is where God meets us. The Sufi poet Rumi said, "Our wounds are the cracks where the light gets in." Saint Paul found that his weakness allowed God's strength to shine through. Know your wounds, know your brokenness, and reach out to God there.
What is the equivalent, for us, of Naaman's washing seven times in the muddy Jordan? What humility do we need to exercise to receive healing and conversion? What simple, persevering practices do we need to continue—perhaps daily prayer, regular confession, or Sunday Mass? Too often we give up too quickly or neglect the basic disciplines of faith.
Who are we more like—the nine lepers who were healed but failed to give thanks, or the one Samaritan who returned praising God and fell at Jesus' feet? Gratitude and worship should be the hallmarks of our lives, especially in our reverent participation in the Eucharist.
Jesus associated with the most despised outcasts of his day—and ours. He recognised and praised the foreigner, the Samaritan, because his heart was open. Most simply, Jesus is one who heals and saves those in need. This is what he wants to do for each of us. Think of Jesus dealing with you in this way—now and in the past—and give him thanks.
