Gospel Commentary for Sunday, October 12, 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and all good.

We continue accompanying Christ on His journey to Jerusalem. Sometimes He was well received along the way, and other times, not so much. That’s what happens when you go around telling the truth—some people don’t want to hear it.

Before we look at the Gospel, the first and second readings offer us some important points for reflection.

In the Second Book of Kings, we witness a miraculous healing. We’re in the second half of the 9th century BC. The Syrians have extended their control over most of Syria and Palestine. The most famous and respected man in the kingdom is General Naaman, commander of the army. He has everything—except his health. He’s contracted leprosy, which at that time was considered incurable and one of the worst punishments from God. One day, a young Israelite girl, captured during a raid, tells him that there is a prophet in her land who performs extraordinary healings. This prophet is Elisha, the disciple of Elijah.

Naturally, Naaman sets out to visit him. Surely, along the way, he imagined how the meeting and healing would go. But just as he is about to arrive at the prophet’s house, a servant comes out and tells him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. That’s all he needs to do to be healed. Naaman is furious. He was expecting Elisha to come out, call on his God, perform some ritual, lay hands on him—something! But none of that happens. The prophet doesn’t even come out to greet him. Angry, Naaman is about to return to his homeland when his servants approach and give him a simple piece of advice: If the man of God had asked you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? Why not do something as simple as washing in the river?

In humility, he accepts the advice. And Naaman is healed—not just of his physical leprosy, but also of the leprosy of the soul. He moves from paganism to faith in the one true God. As a sign of his conversion, he takes home sacks of soil from Israel, so he can continue to worship the God who saved him. We could say he received two healings for free—a true gift from God. Because, as today’s Psalm says, “The Lord has revealed His salvation to the nations.” To all nations. All that’s needed is humility and a willingness to listen to what God (and His messengers, His “angels”) tells us.

Saint Paul continues and deepens this idea. His life was always united to Christ. As he says, “That is why I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” His mission comes above all else.

When he writes this letter to Timothy, he’s imprisoned in Rome and feeling somewhat abandoned by his own people. Yet he trusts that the Word continues to spread, because “the word of God is not chained.” This Word will keep bearing fruit, despite difficulties. And for that reason, we must keep our peace and joy, since it’s a message of love and peace.

It’s easy to understand that what happened to Paul and to Jesus also happens in the life of every true disciple. Those who commit themselves to the Truth—with a capital “T”—who speak clearly and denounce injustice, must also accept criticism, misunderstandings, and even persecution—even within their own community.

Salvation also reaches the lepers who encounter Jesus along the road. As we said earlier, leprosy had no cure. Only Yahweh, if the sins of an entire life were atoned for, could perform the miracle and restore health. Lepers were not allowed to enter cities, much less the temple. They felt rejected by society and even by God.

Today, in the light of the Word, we have the chance to reflect on how we treat today’s “lepers”—those people nobody wants, forgotten by all. Perhaps they live in our own apartment buildings, or work or study with us… Saint Francis of Assisi, after his encounter with a leper, was able to leave everything behind and change his life. Maybe we, too, can learn something from the lepers of today.

The ten lepers in today’s Gospel keep their distance, but together they ask the Lord to have mercy on them. As a group, they feel stronger. “Have pity on us.” Most likely, they expected some alms to help them live a bit more comfortably. But instead, they receive something completely unexpected: healing. A slow-motion healing—not immediate. Maybe so that, as they walk, they can begin to understand what’s happening to them.

Out of the ten lepers, only one returns to give thanks to God. Some authors say the number ten is no coincidence. Ten represents perfection, completeness. The lepers in the Gospel, therefore, represent all people—humanity as a whole—distant from God. With that number, Luke is telling us that all of us, both Jews and Samaritans, are lepers who need to encounter Jesus. None of us is pure. We all carry signs of death on our skin that only the Word of Christ can heal. That’s why we must trust, ask, and then—after walking the path—be ready to hear, like the Samaritan: “Your faith has saved you.”

So, let’s reflect on our capacity to ask and to give; to balance what we ask of others and what we give to others. Let’s also examine whether we are capable of giving thanks to God for everything He does for us—from preserving our life to allowing us to celebrate the Eucharist, to giving us food, friends, family… It’s good to remember now and then that everything we have comes from God, and to give Him thanks.

May our prayer reflect this awareness, and may we be good, grateful children. Saying “thank you” costs nothing and brings joy to others. And if we can make life easier for those around us, then we are building the Kingdom of God. Let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, our Mother, to grant us the grace not only to respect others, but to be grateful and to seek the good of all—as our brothers and sisters, children of the same God and Father. Amen.

Your brother in faith,