First Reading • 2 Kings 5:14-17
Psalm • Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
Second Reading • 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Gospel • Luke 17:11-19
We all know how special it feels to receive one of these. A simple thank-you card can brighten our whole day.
It tells us that someone noticed, someone remembered, someone cared enough to say, “I appreciate you.”
In today’s Gospel, ten lepers were healed by Jesus, but only one came back with his “thank-you card.”
And the one who returned was a Samaritan; an outsider, someone Jews considered an enemy. Jesus lifts him up as the model of gratitude.
When we think of the most influential people in the early Church, we often name Peter, Paul, or one of the apostles, yet Saint Luke deserves just as much recognition because of what he wrote and the message he preserved.
Luke, a Gentile and outsider, gave us both the Gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles; together more than a quarter of the New Testament.
His background gave him a special sensitivity to those on the margins, and so his Gospel highlights Jesus’ love for the poor, the sick, women, and foreigners like the Samaritans.
Only Luke gives us the parable of the Good Samaritan, and only Luke tells the story of the Samaritan leper who returns to thank Jesus.
Through these stories, Luke reminds us that Jesus came not only for Israel but for all people, breaking down barriers and welcoming everyone into God’s family.
For the Jews of Jesus’ time, Samaritans were enemies. They hated one another and would not even speak. So, when Jesus praises a Samaritan as the only one who returned to give thanks, it would have shocked his disciples.
Jesus was making it clear: salvation is for everyone. God’s love has no borders. And His followers must overcome their prejudices to serve and love all people.
So, who are the “Samaritans” for us in 2025? Who are the people we prefer to avoid, the ones we carry prejudices against?
Sometimes, we treat people like these tissues; useful when we need them, but then tossed aside once we’re done. Don’t we sometimes do the same in our relationships?
We lean on people when life is hard, but once life is easy again, we forget them. Jesus calls us to something better.
Our phones hold hundreds of contacts.
But how many do we only call when we need something? Do we ever call just to say, “Thank you, I appreciate you”? To Know how the person is doing? The Samaritan used his one chance to “call” Jesus and he used it to give thanks. We are invited to do the same with the people God has placed in our lives.
Finally, when we look in a mirror, we see our own face. But do we also recognize that every person we meet reflects the face of Christ; even those we might call “outsiders”? Gratitude opens our eyes to see God’s image in each person.
Again, who are the “Samaritans” for us in 2025? Who are the people we avoid, the ones we carry prejudices against?
Pope Francis often reminds us: in our “throwaway culture,” the elderly is treated like burdens, the sick are hidden away, and the poor are ignored. But it goes deeper than that.
Too often, we use people only when we need them and later forget them – or even cast them aside.
In Jesus’ eyes, that is no different from treating others as disposable. Relationships are not meant to be used; they are meant to be cherished.
Let us learn to hold on to our relationships – not only when we depend on them, but also when life is smooth and we think we can do without them.
Above all, let us be grateful; for our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our community.
Every single person in our lives has been sent by God with a purpose, and so we give thanks for them, and we give thanks to God who placed them in our path.
Even those who challenge us or stretch our patience can help us grow in love.
In each relationship, God gives us an opportunity to learn, to serve, and to reflect His presence more fully.
Like the Samaritan in today’s Gospel, these very people can teach us faith, perseverance, and gratitude if we are willing to listen.
The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles challenge us to overcome fear, prejudice, and indifference.
And to recognize Christ in every person.
Today let us ask Saint Luke to pray for us, that we may discover Jesus in the sick, the poor, the stranger, and even in those we call our enemies.
May we too, like the Samaritan, return to Jesus with hearts full of gratitude.
