Today, 20th of January, we celebrate
Saint Fabian and
Saint Sebastian.
First Reading: 2 Kings 5:14-17
Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
at the word of Elisha, the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child,
and he was clean of his leprosy.
Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.
On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said,
"Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel.
Please accept a gift from your servant."
Elisha replied, "As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it;"
and despite Naaman's urging, he still refused.
Naaman said: "If you will not accept,
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."
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
R./ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R./ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R./ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands:
break into song; sing praise.
R./ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Beloved:
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:
such is my gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.
This saying is trustworthy:
If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.
Gospel Reading: Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."
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,
Alejandro Carbajo, C.M.F.Greetings
May all of you who are chosen by God,
be saved by Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord,
and share in his eternal glory.
May Jesus our Lord be with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Giving Thanks At The Top Of Our Voices
We appreciate grateful people very much. Do we ourselves not forget to thank? For many, it is the Lord who is forgotten. Look at everything we owe God: our life, our bodies with our eyes to see the marvels of creation and our ears to hear creation's songs. There is all the beauty around us and all the good people to appreciate and love. Above all, God himself has come near to us in Jesus. He brought us repeated forgiveness and the capacity to forgive and to love. Let us thank God and praise him at the top of our voices.
B. A Grateful Stranger
Isn't it a pity that we believers, are at times, even often, put to shame by people who are not Christians, or separated or non-practicing? Not that we are in competition with them or have to think that we are better than they, but we owe it to Christ, to the Church, to the kingdom for which we work, to live our faith in practice, to do deeds of faith. We see "outsiders" do these deeds even as we fail to do them. Let us recognize the good deeds done by others and learn from them, as Jesus points out to us today.
Penitential Act
Let us ask the Lord to heal us
from the disease of sin.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, Master,
take pity on us and heal us from our sins:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, Master,
take pity on all outcasts
and dispose us to accept them as you do:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, Master,
take pity on all who have to suffer
for trying to follow you faithfully:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and tell us to rise from our sins.
Accept our thanks and praise
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us thank our loving God
for all his goodness
(pause)
God our Father,
we are your graceful work of art.
When we were doomed to death through sin
you called us to life
through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Open us to your love and life
given for free as a gift without charge or regret.
Give us thankful hearts.
May we learn from you and your Son
to give ourselves away for free
to our brothers and sisters.
Accept our thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: A Grateful Foreigner
Naaman, a foreigner, had come to beg the prophet Elisha to cure him of his leprosy in the name of the God of Israel. When he was healed, he gratefully promised to honor the God of Israel.
Second Reading Introduction: Remember Jesus Christ!
God's greatest gift to us is Jesus Christ, who sums up all gifts. Gratitude prompts us to be loyal to him and to live the life of Jesus.
Gospel Introduction: Another Grateful Stranger
Jesus cured ten men, simply because they believed in him. But only one returned to thank him. He was a foreigner, and a Samaritan at that.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to our Father in heaven, who has loved us long before we could love him, and who has set us free in Jesus Christ. Let us say to him: R/ Lord, keep us in your love.
• For the People of God, the Church, that our loving God may bless it for all it has given to us: God's love, God's life, and the guidance and strength of the Spirit, let us pray: R/ Lord, keep us in your love.
• For our parents and all who have been good to us, that the heavenly Father may bless them all and keep them in his love, let us pray: R/ Lord, keep us in your love.
• For our country and our people, that God may make us grateful to those who have gone before us for the riches of culture we have inherited from them and for the faith they have handed over to us; that we may contribute our efforts and ourselves toward a bright future for our people, let us pray: R/ Lord, keep us in your love.
• For those who are poor or who suffer in their person or human dignity, that our God who cares may bless them all; that out of gratitude for what we have received we may bring them love, freedom, and peace, let us pray: R/ Lord, keep us in your love.
• For this Christian community, that the heavenly Father may bless us all; that we may learn from him what generosity and gratitude mean and pass it on to our children and neighbors, let us pray: R/ Lord, keep us in your love.
Our generous and loving God, as we have received freely from you, may we also freely give and share, that we may grow more in your image and the image of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
in this Eucharist we celebrate
the thanksgiving of Jesus your Son.
With these signs of bread and wine
allow us to praise and thank you.
By his passion
we can win our struggles,
and by his resurrection
we gain the courage to live
and to fill all we do
with the depth of the love
of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
In the Eucharistic prayer we thank God our Father for giving us Jesus. We join our thanksgiving and praise with that of the leper who thanked God at the top of his voice.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
With Jesus our Lord,
let us pray with trust and gratitude
to our Father in heaven:
R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us your peace in our day.
Keep us free from any hidden resentment
for having to depend on you
and on the people around us.
Teach us to say a simple and sincere
"Thank you" for all we have received,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.
R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is the Lamb of God
who has brought us forgiveness and life.
Let us accept with gratitude
his invitation to share his table.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Loving Father,
what else can we do
—and we do it with joy—
than give you thanks
for speaking to us through Jesus
and renewing our strength
with his bread of life?
May all we say and do,
and all of our lives
be a gift to those around us,
and an act of gratitude to you,
our God for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
This Eucharist has been
a feast of thanksgiving to the Lord.
Let us always be grateful for the gifts of life,
and the gift of one another.
Let us turn everything we do
into an act of thanksgiving to God.
And may Almighty God bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in the peace of the Lord
and thank him with your living faith. R/ Thanks be to God.
