ORDINARY TIME XXVIII [yr. C] (Oct. 12, 2025). II Kgs 5:14-17/ II Tm 2:8-13/ Lk 17:11-19. (by: Rev. Fr. Clifford Atta Anim)

Where Are the Other Nine?” – A Call to Grateful Hearts

The central theme of today’s readings is gratitude, the humble and heartfelt acknowledgment of God’s goodness. Gratitude is not merely good manners, it is the proper response of faith to God’s saving love. Today’s Gospel of the ten lepers invites us to examine how we express our thanks to God, who continually heals, blesses, and renews us. Jesus’ question, “Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17), reveals both the joy He feels in our gratitude and the sorrow He experiences when we take His gifts for granted.

Gratitude is at the heart of Christian spirituality. Every grace from God is a gift meant to draw us closer to the Giver. When we forget to give thanks, we risk making the gift more important than the Giver Himself.

Scripture Lessons

1. First Reading – 2 Kings 5:14–17

Naaman, the Syrian commander, was doubly excluded by his leprosy and by his foreign status. Yet God, through the prophet Elisha, shows that divine mercy knows no boundaries. When Naaman obeys the prophet’s command and bathes seven times in the Jordan, he is healed, not only of his skin disease but of his spiritual blindness. His first response is gratitude. He returns to thank Elisha and pledges allegiance to the God of Israel: “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15).

Naaman’s conversion shows that gratitude is more than words, it is a turning of the heart. His healing prefigures the universal mission of Christ, who came not only for Israel but for all nations (cf. Luke 4:27).

2. Second Reading – 2 Timothy 2:8–13

From prison, St. Paul reminds Timothy to remain steadfast and grateful even amid suffering: “If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him” (v. 11). Gratitude here takes the form of faithful endurance. Paul shows that thanksgiving is not only for good times but also for trials, because “the word of God is not chained” (v. 9). Gratitude, for Paul, springs from knowing that God’s faithfulness never fails, even when ours does (v. 13).

3. Gospel – Luke 17:11–19

Ten lepers cry out for mercy, and Jesus heals them as they go to the priests. Yet only one, a Samaritan, considered heretical by Jews returns to thank Him. Jesus notices the absence of the others and asks, “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v. 18).

This encounter reveals that faith and gratitude are inseparable. All ten were healed physically, but only the grateful one received spiritual healing: “Your faith has made you well” (v. 19). Gratitude completes faith by recognizing God’s hand in our lives. The ungrateful nine received healing, but the thankful Samaritan received salvation.

Theological and Pastoral Insights

1. Gratitude is the voice of faith.
   Faith is not only believing that God can act, but recognizing His action with thanksgiving. The Catechism teaches, “Every joy and suffering, every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving” (CCC 2638). True faith expresses itself in gratitude, even before seeing results.
2. Ingratitude wounds the heart of God.
   St. Bernard of Clairvaux once said, “Ingratitude is a burning wind that dries up the fountain of holiness.” Jesus’ sadness at the nine ungrateful lepers shows that God desires not repayment but relationship. Gratitude keeps our hearts open to God’s love and prevents pride from taking root.
3. Gratitude transforms suffering.
   Paul’s example shows that gratitude is not the denial of pain but the discovery of grace within it. As he wrote elsewhere, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Even in weakness, gratitude turns suffering into worship.

Life Messages

1. Cultivate an “Attitude of Gratitude”

Gratitude is learned through small, daily acts. Begin by giving thanks for the ordinary, the gift of life, health, food, family, and faith. Make thanksgiving a habit by praying before meals, thanking others often, and offering evening prayers that recall God’s mercies. As St. Ignatius of Loyola advised, the “Examen of Gratitude” should be part of every Christian’s day.

Show gratitude to others, especially those who have shaped your life, parents, teachers, priests, friends. Caring for aging parents or supporting someone in need is one of the most beautiful ways to express thanksgiving to God (cf. Sirach 3:3–6).

2. Live the Eucharist as the Supreme Act of Thanksgiving

The very word Eucharist means “thanksgiving” in Greek (eucharistia). Every Mass is a celebration of gratitude for God’s greatest gift, His Son, Jesus Christ. When we gather for Mass, we echo the Samaritan’s words of praise. In the Eucharist, we remember and thank God for creation, redemption, and sanctification.

To live eucharistically, means allowing gratitude to shape our lives, serving with love, giving generously, and sharing our talents in parish life and outreach to the poor. As Pope Francis teaches, “The Eucharist commits us to the poor and compels us to love as we have been loved” (Evangelii Gaudium, 187).

3. Gratitude Opens the Door to Salvation

Naaman and the Samaritan remind us that salvation begins when we recognize the Giver behind the gift. Gratitude turns ordinary blessings into encounters with grace. The grateful heart is always close to God, while the proud and forgetful heart distances itself from Him.

Conclusion

Gratitude is not only good manners, it is a spiritual discipline that keeps our relationship with God alive. The question Jesus asked long ago still echoes today: “Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17). May we be among those who return daily to give thanks, not only with words but with lives that glorify God.

Let our every Mass, prayer, and act of service become a living echo of the Samaritan’s praise:

“Glory to God, who has done great things for me!” God bless you 🙏🏾

References

St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, No. 43.

The Holy Bible, NRSVCE: 2 Kings 5:14–17; Psalm 98; 2 Timothy 2:8–13; Luke 17:11–19; 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§2637–2638, 1360–1361.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, 51.

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013), §§187–193.