First Reading
2 Kings 5:14-17
1. Naaman was expecting special and involved treatment, though his directions from Elisha were simply to wash in the river. How could this be sufficient to cure his illness? Which do you think God uses more often to communicate with you, extraordinary signs or ordinary ones? Explain.
2. Have you ever brought sand, shells, rocks, anything else from foreign places back to your home? What does Naaman’s taking holy ground back to Syria say to you? Where is your holy ground?
Second Reading
2 Timothy 2:8-13
1. What saints would you say have suffered for the gospel? Who suffers for the gospel today? Do you? in what ways?
2. Paul says, “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.” How would this work? Is Paul saying that your suffering is linked to the salvation of others? Has your faith been affected by the cloud of witnesses who surround you and those who have gone before you?
Gospel
Luke 17:11-19
1. This Sunday we see foreigners who were grateful: the Syrian blind man, and in the First Reading the foreigner, Naaman. Does God offer generous love regardless of a person’s origins or accomplishments? Do you give of yourself or your goods when there is ingratitude? Do you take note when God pours grace into your life? Are you grateful?
2. According to Pope Francis, how can we receive the same healing as the lepers?
Like those lepers, we too need healing, each one of us. We need to be healed of our lack of confidence in ourselves, in life, in the future; we need to be healed of our fears and the vices that enslave us, of our introversion, our addictions and our attachment to games, money, television, mobile phones, to what other people think.
The Lord sets our hearts free and heals them if only we ask him, only if we say to him: "Lord, I believe you can heal me. Dear Jesus, heal me from being caught up in myself. Free me from evil and fear". The lepers are the first people, in this Gospel, who called on the name of Jesus. Later, a blind man and a crucified thief would do so: all of them needy people calling on the name of Jesus, which means: "God saves." They call God by name, directly and spontaneously. To call someone by name is a sign of confidence, and it pleases the Lord. That is how faith grows, through confident, trusting prayer.
Pope Francis Homily for Mass of Canonizations
October 13, 2019
