October 12, 2025, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year C)

Readings: 2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19 

Believers will always receive the Blessing.

The Eucharist is the greatest act of thanksgiving we can offer to God. It is described as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing through which the Church expresses gratitude for all His benefits, as well as for everything He has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. The word “Eucharist” itself means “thanksgiving.” At Mass, we gather around the Eucharistic table as a family of God’s people to give thanks for the gift of life, good health, our families, friends, our nation, and for everything God has done for us. (CCC 1360)

Surprisingly, churches are not full every Sunday with grateful people singing praises to God for their blessings. This raises a question: Could Christ be asking us, as He did the Samaritan leper, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Gratitude should come naturally to everyone; however, we live in a world where selfishness, self-centeredness, and greed have led to a false sense of entitlement, making us feel that everything we have is ours by right. Consequently, it becomes increasingly difficult to appreciate the contributions that others have made to our successes in life. According to Criss Jami, “Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think we are automatically entitled to something, we start walking all over others to get it.”

Today’s readings feature two men, both foreigners, who teach us the importance of gratitude. Outsiders—whether Samaritans or lepers—are a special focus in the ministry of Jesus. They are often more open to seeing God at work in ways that ordinary believers may overlook. After his healing, Naaman recognized the unique status of Israel’s saving Lord and declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.” Naaman’s sincere gratitude towards the God of Israel and the prophet Elisha brought him a gift far more precious than the healing of his leprosy; he received faith in God and was determined to serve Him faithfully. He asked, “If you will not accept the gift I brought, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.” Through obedience to the prophet, he was healed, and his faith in God led to the forgiveness of his sins. His humility accorded him the cure for his skin disease, and his gratitude to God gave him faith in the true God. Jesus was pleased to see one of the lepers—the Samaritan—returning to thank God for his healing. He wondered why the other nine did not come back to say, “thank you,” not because He sought their gratitude, but to help them complete His work of love, of which their healing was only the first step—bringing them to faith.

Today’s readings encourage us to express our gratitude to God for His love and mercy towards us. We must teach our children to show appreciation for the blessings they receive and not to take anything or anyone for granted. For everything we have is a gift from God. Many of us have been ungrateful to our parents at times. To those who are thankless, King Lear remarked, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” We are often ungrateful to our fellow human beings as well. We can never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe to those who have helped us along our journeys to becoming who we are today. It is easy to forget the contributions of friends, teachers, doctors, surgeons, or colleagues who have done something for us that is impossible to repay. Unfortunately, we often fail to try to repay these debts. “Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man’s ingratitude.” (William Shakespeare, in ‘As You Like It’).

Questions: Are you consistently grateful to God for the favors you have received? Or would Christ say of you, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” Have you taught your children to express gratitude for their blessings, or have they developed a false sense of entitlement due to your behavior and failure to express thanks? Perhaps we could set aside a few minutes during dinner this week for each family member to express gratitude to God for the special things that happened that day. We should do this not only on Thanksgiving Day once a year but regularly, as we have reasons to be grateful every day. Count your blessings one by one, and you will be surprised by what God has done for you. “Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks to God for all His blessings—should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. Let us not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our hearts and chill our relationships with God and one another. As the poet George Herbert beautifully expresses it, “O God, you have given us so much. Give us one thing more—a grateful heart.” Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 05, 2025; 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 2; Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14; Lk 17:5-10

Faith Makes the Impossible Possible

Today’s first reading is from the prophet Habakkuk. Habakkuk is believed to have written his book around the 7th century BC, shortly before the Babylonians captured Jerusalem in 586 BC. Habakkuk was disturbed by the violence and cruelty of the Babylonians. He asked the Lord, “So why are you silent while they destroy people who are more righteous than they?” (1:13). The Lord responded that He would act in His own good time. In the meantime, “Those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.” (2:4).

 We often find ourselves feeling like Habakkuk—frustrated and disillusioned as we witness destruction and bloodshed in our communities while God seems unresponsive. Our faith is frequently tested and shaken in the face of rampant hatred and disregard for one another. We hear of the persecution and relentless killing of Christians, with some incidents occurring while they are praying in church or even being burned alive during Mass. Gun violence has claimed countless lives in our nation, leaving us feeling hopeless and helpless.

According to Gun Violence Archive (GVA) data from September 29, 2025, there have been a total of 325 mass shootings—defined as incidents in which four or more victims are shot, excluding the shooter. Within this grim statistic, there have been 10 mass murders recorded. Tragically, among the victims, 175 children aged 0-11 and 762 teens aged 12-17 have lost their lives. Reports from Johns Hopkins University highlight that “the number of deaths and injuries from gun violence in 2025 continues to be a significant public issue in our nation.” Amidst this chaos, we hear God asking us, “What have you done? Listen: Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil!” (Genesis 4:10). Like Habakkuk, we cry out, “How long, O Lord? I cry for help, but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene.” Yet God calls us to remain faithful. In other words, He desires for us to keep our faith strong.

Faith is “The realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1). Faith makes us ready and willing to do God’s will. In today’s Gospel, the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. Why was this request relevant? The answer can be found in Luke 17:1-4. Here, Christ warned His apostles against causing scandal or becoming a stumbling block for others. He acknowledged that while it is impossible to construct a world without temptations, woe to the person who teaches another to sin or rob another of their innocence. The difficulty of putting this teaching into practice led the apostles to ask for an increase of faith. Jesus answered them: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Faith is the most significant force in the world. It makes the impossible possible; it does not depend on its size or quantity but on its quality and effectiveness. Because we are not alone, God is always with us. Faith is not jumping to a conclusion; it is concluding to jump into God’s arms. “By this faith, a just man lives.” (Gal. 3:11). Examples.

This kind of faith can draw poison from every grief, take the sting from every loss, and quench the fire of every pain. Jesus compares faith to a “tiny mustard seed.” Just as the power of the seed does not depend on its size but on the life hidden within itself, the power of our faith does not depend on its quantity but on its quality. This transformative power enables us to struggle against sins, avoid causing scandal, and forgive all hurt. Our faith must be living, practical, and trustworthy. Paul reminds Timothy in the second reading not to forget the gifts of the Holy Spirit he received when he was ordained as a minister. “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power, love, and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:6-7). Paul told Timothy not to be intimidated by the hardship, opposition, and difficulties he encountered in Ephesus. Instead, challenges should strengthen his faith. The apostles, too, sensed the difficulties of their mission and cried out for an increase in faith. Following Christ is never easy. It was not easy for Christ either. On the Cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:2).

Following God is challenging, but “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion that cannot be shaken.” (Ps. 125:1). We must be active in our Christian duties while remaining humble enough to say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” Amidst difficulties, violence, persecution, and tribulation, we wait and hope diligently and earnestly, patiently and perseveringly on God while doing all in our power and within our ability to bring peace to our troubled world. Like the apostles, we pray, Lord, increase our faith! Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP