28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Homily

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 12, 2025

 

I’m a very independent person. It’s how I grew up. I had to be independent to survive. I started working when I was 16. I bought and cooked my own meals; I bought and washed my own clothes; I got myself from home to school to work and back again on my trusty 10-speed bike. This served me well into my adulthood with a strong work ethic and independent lifestyle. No one told me what to do. That is until I met my future wife. Even after we married, I clung to my independence, often at odds with her trying to take care of me as a Proverbs 31 woman will do. It took me several years to adjust and to learn that we were a couple and not two individuals living in the same household. I had to learn over time that the two will become one in the Sacrament of Matrimony. I had to learn that I don’t have to do everything on my own; I can rely on my partner, my friend, my love.

 

And as I traveled on my faith journey, I struggled with my spiritual independence, believing that my life was all up to me, but also knowing that I can do nothing without God. I still struggle with how much I can trust God. One of my favorite prayers is, “God, I trust in You; help me in my distrust.” God doesn’t always stop bad things from happening, but He does promise that He will always be with us and He will never stop loving us. He can’t help it; He is Love. And that love translates to His always having our best interests at heart. Therefore, we can always rely on Him.

 

Our readings today direct our thoughts to this very topic of independence or even better, how to rely on God and not so much on ourselves. These passages remind us that true healing, real gratitude, and our very salvation flow from trusting in God’s mercy and power. Our own limited human efforts fall short; we can’t do it on our own. Today’s world too often encourages self-reliance and independence, but today’s readings challenge us to place our trust in God, who is the source of all goodness and grace, from whom everything we have and are flows.

 

In our first reading, we meet Naaman, a powerful and prideful Syrian commander afflicted with leprosy. Naaman’s story begins with skepticism but ultimately surrender to God’s will. At first, he doesn’t want to follow Elisha’s simple instruction to wash in the Jordan River, that small, dirty, insignificant creek. He’s too important. He expects a grand gesture, something significant, like him. Yet, yielding his pride, accepting another’s help, through an act of humility, Naaman follows Elisha’s command, and he is healed. His healing is not the result of his own power or status or strength but of his willingness to trust in God’s way, revealed through the prophet. Naaman’s response to his healing is dramatic: he returns to Elisha, offers gratitude and declares his commitment to worship the one true God. His story teaches us that reliance on God often requires letting go of our pride and embracing His plan, even when it seems overly simple or just ordinary.

 

We see this same theme of reliance in the Gospel message. We hear the story of the ten lepers. These men, these society outcasts, cry out to Jesus, “Have pity on us!” Have you ever cried out to God, “Help me!” I have! But their plea is not a demand but a humble acknowledgment of their powerlessness and need for God’s healing. Jesus, in His mercy, instructs them to simply show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are healed. Yet, sadly, only one, a Samaritan, a foreigner, an outcast even without the leprosy, returns to give thanks. This lone leper’s gratitude reveals a deeper reliance on God. While all ten were physically healed, the Samaritan, by returning to Jesus, signifies a spiritual healing, a recognition that his restoration comes from God’s grace alone. Jesus affirms this, saying, “Your faith has saved you.” This reminds us that reliance on God is not just about receiving His gifts, which we all do, but responding with gratitude and faith, trusting that He is the source of our salvation. How much gratitude do we offer our Great Benefactor? How often do we say, “Thank you, God.”?

 

The second reading from 2 Timothy further deepens this message. Paul is in prison. He speaks of enduring hardship for the sake of the Good News. He declares, “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” These words remind us that God’s faithfulness endures even when our trust wavers. His imprisonment could have led to despair, yet Paul, in his weakness, relies on God’s strength, proclaiming the Gospel with unwavering confidence. This is our challenge: do we place our trust in God when life becomes difficult? Or do we lean on our own understanding? It is God who remains faithful. How are we doing in our faith?

 

Unfortunately, the reality is that relying on God feels countercultural today. Society celebrates self-sufficiency, “Just do it,” urging us to solve our own problems through our own efforts. While this has its place, because God did make us strong, God’s Word today reminds us that true healing and fulfillment come from surrendering to God’s will. Like Naaman, we may be tempted to seek grand solutions to our problems, but God often works through simplicity, through prayer, with humility, trust. Like the Samaritan leper, we are called to return to God with gratitude, recognizing that every good thing comes from Him. And like Paul, we are invited to persevere in faith, trusting that God’s grace sustains us through every trial.

 

So, how do we cultivate this reliance on God in our daily lives? First, we must prioritize prayer. Prayer is the lifeline that connects us to God, helping us discern His will and trust in His providence. Whether through the Eucharist, the Rosary, or quiet moments of reflection, prayer opens our hearts to God’s presence. Second, we must practice gratitude. Remember our Bishop’s pontifical motto, “In all things, give thanks” Thes 5:18. The Samaritan leper teaches us that gratitude transforms our perspective, helping us see God’s hand in every moment. We must make time every day to thank God for the blessings He bestows on us, both big and small. Finally, we must surrender; give up our need for control, stop clinging to those things that really can’t help us. This is perhaps the hardest step, especially for me, but it is essential. Like Naaman, we must let go of our pride and trust that God’s ways are higher than our own; that God is wiser than we are and loves us more than we love ourselves.

 

So we ask: Where in my life am I relying on my own strength instead of God’s? What is holding me back from fully trusting in His mercy? Perhaps it’s a worry about the future, maybe a struggle in a relationship, or perhaps a personal ongoing failing that feels insurmountable. Whatever it may be, I must bring it to God in prayer. I must trust that He is faithful, that He hears my cry, and that He desires to heal and restore me. As we come forward to receive Jesus in a few moments, come forward with the humility of Naaman, come forward with the perseverance of Paul, come forward with the gratitude of the Samaritan. Place your trust in God, who is faithful, merciful, loving, and ever-present. May we, like the lepers, cry out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” and then return to Him with grateful hearts. For in relying on God, we find not only healing but the promise of eternal life.