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Our parish is staffed by the
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.)
October 12, 2025
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
12 de Octubre de 2025
Vigésimo Octavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario
“¿Nadie más que este extranjero
ha regresado para dar gracias a Dios?”
“Has none but this foreigner
returned to give thanks to God ?"
Reflection on Sunday Readings by Fr. Luis and Fr. Rajesh
Reflexión sobre las lecturas dominicales del P. Luis y P. Rajesh
VIGESIMO OCTAVO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO 2025
Queridos hermanos y hermanas: Las lecturas de este domingo nos invitan a dar gracias a Dios por su amor, misericordia y compasión, y al mismo tiempo nos brindan la oportunidad de reconocer que no podemos comprar su gracia, ya que es gratuita y depende únicamente de su misericordia y amor. Empecemos con estas preguntas: ¿Puede una persona comprar la gracia de Dios? ¿Es posible comprar la salvación? ¿Han comprado alguna vez un sacramento? ¿Se puede comprar la Eucaristía? ¿Creen que hay personas en esta sociedad que son rechazadas o marginadas debido a su estado de salud? ¿Dan gracias a Dios por lo que reciben de Él?
Queridos hermanos y hermanas, seamos claros con respecto a la primera pregunta. Se nos ha preguntado si compramos o no la salvación. La única respuesta posible es «no». No podemos comprar la gracia de Dios ni los sacramentos. Entonces, tal vez se pregunten: «¿Por qué tenemos que pagar por algunos sacramentos o servicios en nuestra iglesia?». Permítanme decirles que lo que la Iglesia nos pide no es un pago por los sacramentos o los servicios, sino una donación para contribuir al sustento económico de la parroquia. ¿Lo tienen claro?
En la primera lectura, vemos cómo Naamán, el sirio, quiere agradecer al profeta Eliseo su curación y piensa que debe pagarle por ello. Sin embargo, el profeta se niega a aceptar ninguna donación de él, ya que quiere dejar claro que la gracia de Dios no se puede comprar. La gracia simplemente se recibe y se aprecia como un regalo de Dios, y lo único que Dios quiere de una persona no es su dinero, sino su corazón. La historia de Naamán era la siguiente: era un general del ejército arameo que padecía lepra. Su mujer tenía una esclava israelita que le dijo que fuera a ver a un profeta en Israel, que probablemente podría curarlo. Acudió sin humildad y, cuando llegó a casa del profeta, se sintió decepcionado porque este no lo recibió en persona, sino que envió a un mensajero para
decirle que se bañara en el río Jordán. Se sintió insultado porque, para él, los ríos de su país eran mucho mejores que el Jordán, así que decidió regresar a casa. Sin embargo, algunos de sus amigos lo convencieron para que hiciera lo que el profeta le había dicho, ya que no le pedía nada especial, solo que se bañara en el río. Cuando lo hizo, se curó y su lepra desapareció. Tras su curación, profesó su fe en Dios. Este milagro lo llevó a convertirse y aprendió que la gracia de Dios no se puede comprar, sino que simplemente hay que aceptarla con gratitud y humildad.
Este domingo, la primera lectura y el evangelio nos presentan a unos leprosos que se acercan a Dios y son curados y sanados por Él. En el Antiguo Testamento, la lepra era una enfermedad trágica y terminal que, por ley, separaba a las personas de su entorno social y religioso, y las obligaba a vivir alejadas de la comunidad. No podían acercarse a nadie, ya que se temía que pudieran contagiarla. En el Evangelio, vemos a Jesús, que es Dios, acercarse sin miedo a los leprosos y sanarlos. Jesús se muestra compasivo con ellos, comprende su situación y, en lugar de rechazarlos, los sana y los reintegra a la vida social y religiosa.
El Evangelio también nos muestra la actitud de un leproso samaritano que regresa para dar gracias a Dios por su curación. Esta persona no solo se curó de su enfermedad, sino que fue sanada. Esto significa que, además de curarse, recibió la gracia de Dios en su corazón y, lleno de gratitud, regresó para dar gracias. Al igual que estos leprosos, muchas personas buscan la curación para sus enfermedades, pero no buscan la sanación y la gracia del Señor para sus vidas.
Muchas personas reciben la curación de su enfermedad y las bendiciones del Señor, pero se olvidan de darle las gracias.
Estos dos leprosos sanados eran extranjeros y no profesaban la misma fe que el pueblo de Israel, pero mostraron su gratitud a Dios después de recibir la curación. Jesús le preguntó al samaritano: «¿Qué pasó con los otros nueve?». Aunque eran creyentes y recibieron la curación, se olvidaron por completo de agradecer a Dios, pues dieron por sentado que Él tenía que curarlos.
En la segunda lectura, san Pablo le recuerda a Timoteo que la Palabra de Dios no está encadenada y lo invita a mantenerse firme en la fe y a ser fiel a Jesucristo, que siempre nos será fiel y nos dará la gracia para dar testimonio de Él ante el mundo. Ojalá nunca permitas que la Palabra de Dios esté encadenada en tu vida y en tu entorno. Las lecturas de este domingo nos ayudan a entender que Dios es un Dios para todos, no solo para los cristianos, sino para todas las personas. Nunca debemos olvidar mostrar gratitud a Dios por su gran amor hacia nosotros y hacia aquellas personas que nos ayudan. La salvación es un regalo de Dios que nunca podremos comprar, es demasiado cara para adquirirla con dinero. Solo podemos recibirla como un regalo de Dios y a través de nuestras obras de caridad.
Hoy, queridos hermanos y hermanas, pidamos al Señor que nos libre de la lepra spiritual que supone perder la sensibilidad hacia el dolor y el sufrimiento de nuestros hermanos y hermanas que padecen a causa de su estado de salud. Pidamos también al Señor que nos ayude a no rechazar nunca a nadie por su condición social o su estado de salud. No olvidemos dar las gracias a Dios y a los demás por el servicio que nos prestan. Por último, pidamos hoy a Dios la sanación de nuestros corazones y nuestros cuerpos. Amén.
P. Luis Segura
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TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2025
Dear brothers and sisters: This Sunday's readings invite us to give thanks to God for his love, mercy, and compassion, and at the same time give us the opportunity to recognize that we cannot buy his grace, since it is free and depends solely on his mercy and love. Let's begin with these questions: Can a person buy God's grace? Is it possible to buy salvation? Have you ever bought a sacrament? Can the Eucharist be bought? Do you think there are people in this society who are rejected or marginalized because of their health? Do you thank God for what you receive from Him?
Dear brothers and sisters, let's be clear about the first question. We've been asked whether or not we buy salvation. The only possible answer is "no." We cannot buy God's grace or the sacraments. So, you may be asking, "Why do we have to pay for some sacraments or services in our church?" Let me tell you that what the Church asks of us is not a payment for the sacraments or services, but a donation to contribute to the economic support of the parish. Are you clear on that?
In the first reading, we see how Naaman, the Syrian, wants to thank the prophet Elisha for his healing and thinks he should pay him for it. However, the prophet refuses to accept any donation from him, as he wants to make it clear that God's grace cannot be bought. Grace is simply received and appreciated as a gift from God, and the only thing God wants from a person is not their money, but their heart. Naaman's story was this: he was a general in the Aramean army who suffered from leprosy. His wife had an Israelite slave who told him to go see a prophet in Israel, who could probably cure him. He went without humility, and when he arrived at the prophet's house, he was disappointed because the prophet did not receive him in person, but instead sent a messenger to tell him to bathe in the Jordan River. He felt insulted because, for him, the rivers of his country were far better than the Jordan, so he decided to return home. However, some of his friends convinced him to do what the prophet had told him, since he didn't ask anything special of him, just to bathe in the river. When he did, he was cured and his leprosy disappeared. After his healing, he professed his faith in God. This miracle led him to conversion, and he learned that God's grace cannot be bought, but must simply be accepted with gratitude and humility.
This Sunday, the first reading and the Gospel present to us a group of lepers who approach God and are healed and cured by Him. In the Old Testament, leprosy was a tragic and terminal disease that, by law, separated people from their social and religious environment and forced them to live apart from the community. They could not approach anyone, as it was feared they might spread the disease. In the Gospel, we see Jesus, who is God, fearlessly approach lepers and heal them. Jesus shows compassion for them, understands their situation, and, instead of rejecting them, heals them and reintegrates them into social and religious life.
The Gospel also shows us the attitude of a Samaritan leper who returns to give thanks to God for his healing. This person was not only cured of his illness, but also healed. This means that, in addition to being cured, he received God's grace in his heart and, filled with gratitude, returned to give thanks. Like these lepers, many people seek healing for their illnesses, but do not seek the Lord's healing and grace for their lives. Many people receive healing from their illness and the Lord's blessings, but they forget to thank Him.
These two healed lepers were foreigners and did not profess the same faith as the people of Israel, but they showed their gratitude to God after receiving the healing. Jesus asked the Samaritan, "What happened to the other nine?" Although they were believers and received the healing, they completely forgot to thank God, because they assumed He had to heal them.
In the second reading, Saint Paul reminds Timothy that the Word of God is not chained and invites him to remain firm in the faith and faithful to Jesus Christ, who will always be faithful to us and give us the grace to bear witness to Him before the world. May you never allow the Word of God to be chained in your life and in your surroundings. This Sunday's readings help us understand that God is a God for all, not only for Christians, but for all people. We must never forget to show gratitude to God for His great love for us and for those who help us. Salvation is a gift from God that we can never buy; it is too expensive to acquire with money. We can only receive it as a gift from God and through our works of charity.
Today, dear brothers and sisters, let us ask the Lord to free us from the spiritual leprosy of losing sensitivity to the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters who suffer because of their health. Let us also ask the Lord to help us never reject anyone because of their social status or health. Let us not forget to thank God and others for the service they provide us. Finally, let us ask God today for the healing of our hearts and bodies. Amen.
Fr. Luis Segura
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The Door of Life is Open to Everyone…
Continued reading of the Gospel of Luke leads us to the story of the healing of the ten lepers, of whom only one, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus. Connected with this text, the first reading, from the Second Book of Kings, tells the story of the healing of Naaman, head of the Aramaean army, also a leper, who was cured by immersing himself seven times in the waters of the Jordan River, on the orders of the Prophet Elisha. Naaman too returns to the prophet and, recognizing him as the mediator of God, professes his faith in the one Lord. So, two lepers, two non-Jews, who are cured because they believe in the word of God's messenger. Their bodies are healed, but they are open to faith, and this heals their souls, that is, it saves them.
The Responsorial Psalm sings of this reality: "Yahweh has made known his saving power, / revealed his saving justice for the nations to see. / Mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel" (Ps 98: 2-3). This then is the theme: salvation is universal, but it passes through a specific historical mediation, the mediation of the people of Israel, which goes on to become that of Jesus Christ and the Church. The door of life is open for everyone, but this is the point, it is a "door", that is, a definite and necessary passage. This is summed up in the Pauline formula we heard in the Second Letter to Timothy: "the salvation in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2: 10). It is the mystery of the universality of Salvation and, at the same time of its necessary link with the historical mediation of Christ Jesus, preceded by that of the People of Israel and continued by that of the Church. God is love and wants all men to be part of His life; to carry out this plan He, who is Triune, creates in the world a mystery of a communion that is human and divine, historical and transcendent: He creates it with the method so to speak of the Covenant, tying himself to men with faithful and inexhaustible love, forming a holy people, that becomes a blessing for all the families of the earth (cf. Gen 12: 13). Thus, He reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf. Ex 3: 6), who wants to lead his people to the "land" of freedom and peace. This “land” is not of this world; the whole of the divine plan goes beyond history, but the Lord wants to build it with men, for men and in men, beginning with the coordinates of space and time in which they live and which He Himself gave them.
Therefore, all are called to make their personal contribution: the international community, by supporting a stable path, loyal and constructive, towards peace; those most prevalent religions in the region, in promoting the spiritual and cultural values that unite men and women and exclude every expression of violence. Christians will continue to contribute not only with the work of social promotion, such as institutes of education and healthcare, but above all with the spirit of the evangelical Beatitudes, which enliven the practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. In this commitment, they will always have the support of the entire Church. Dear friends, let us invoke the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. [Synthesized from Pope Benedict XVI, Homilies, 10 X 2010]
Rev. Jos Rajesh Peter M.S.C
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
My friends, in today’s gospel, Jesus continues his way to Jerusalem – fully aware he is on his way to his crucifixion and death. Much of his final teachings are about Faith. Not just talking about faith but living faith.
Last week, the Apostles said to Jesus, "Increase our Faith." Today we see the faith of the Samaritan leper. Out of the 10 lepers who cried out to Jesus for help, only ONE had a faith experience.
Now, some say that all ten lepers had at least enough faith to ask Jesus to have pity on them. That may be true but only one of them, the foreigner, had a life-changing experience. He returned, fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
Reminds me of a story:
A dog walks into a butcher shop carrying a purse in his mouth. He comes in about once a week. The dog puts the purse down and sits in front of the meat case.
The butcher asks: "What is it, boy. You want to buy some meat?" "Woof!" barks the dog.
The butcher asks, "What kind of meat ? Liver, bacon, steak ..." "Woof!" interrupts the dog.
"OK. How much steak ? Half a pound, one pound ..." "Woof!"
The butcher wraps up the meat and finds the money in the dog's purse.
As the dog leaves, the curious butcher decides to follow, wondering where the dog goes each time….
The dog goes to a house and begins scratching at a door. With that, the door swings open and an angry man starts shouting at the dog.
"Stop!" yells the butcher. "Don't be so ungrateful ! You should be thankful to have such an intelligent animal !"
"Intelligent ?" says the man. "This is the third time this week he forgot his key."
It’s good to recognize and be thankful for the blessings we have received. At the same time, it’s also important to recognize the pain and rejection some people receive from others.
My friends, the lepers in today's gospel represent all those who are marginalized, rejected and excluded: the poor, the widows, the orphans, those who have a different ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, color of skin – everyone – who has some characteristic which identifies them as different.
When I worked at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, we were celebrating Mass a few days before Thanksgiving. The gospel was the same as today. The Presider at Mass was Msgr. Don Weber, who was the Vicar General of our Diocese. Msgr. Weber gave a short homily and then asked if there was anyone who wanted to say a few words.
A woman stood up and said, "Yes, I would. I know what it's like to have leprosy. I can even tell you when my “leprosy” began. My leprosy began when I told my family and friends that I divorced my husband." "Everyone stopped talking to me. When people saw me, they looked away or walked away in the opposite direction. Even at Church, people wouldn’t talk to me. My own parents wouldn't talk to me or my children. The only people who talked to me were other women who were divorced or separated. I soon realized what it was like to be in that band of 10 lepers…"
My friends, in today’s gospel, the only one who returned to give thanks for the mercy of God was not a Jew – but a foreigner. Sadly, the hatred and rejection of foreigners continues to this day.
This foreigner in our gospel returned to thank Jesus and glorify God – not only because his leprosy was healed – but because he knew that he found God's salvation through the compassion of Jesus. God's salvation, promised to all people, was made visible once again through the faith of this foreigner.
The other nine missed their chance to receive more than a physical healing. They missed their opportunity to discover the love of God through the mercy of Jesus.
When we recognize and give thanks for the blessings we have received – especially the blessing of relationships with family and friends, our faith in our loving God increases and that faith has no limits.
My friends, as mentioned earlier, today’s gospel represents all those who are marginalized and excluded from “society.” On October 4th, Pope Leo XIV published his first Apostolic Exhortation. The subject is “To all Christians on the Love for the Poor.” The link for his Apostolic Exhortation is below:
https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html
“Before you speak of peace, you must first have it in your heart.” –Francis of Assisi
“Antes de hablar de paz, primero debes tenerla en tu corazón”. –Francisco de Asís
