St. John of God, religious 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

2 Kings 5:1-15b*

Naaman was the army commander of the king of Aram.

This man was highly regarded and enjoyed the king’s favor, for Yahweh had helped him lead the army of the Arameans to victory. But this valiant man was sick with leprosy.(…….)  Naaman went to tell the king what the young Israelite maidservant had said. The king of Aram said to him, “Go to the prophet, and I shall also send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So Naaman went and took with him ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces and ten festal garments. (…..)  Elisha, the man of God, came to know that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, so he sent this message to him(……) Let the man come to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stopped before the house of Elisha. Elisha then sent a messenger to tell him, “Go to the river Jordan and wash seven times, and your flesh shall be as it was before, and you shall be cleansed.”

 Naaman was angry, so he went away. He thought: “On my arrival, he should have personally come out, and then paused and called on the name of Yahweh, his God.(…..) 

 His servants approached him and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had ordered you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? But how much easier when he said: Take a bath and you will be cleansed.”

 So Naaman went down to the Jordan where he washed himself seven times as Elisha had ordered. His skin became soft like that of a child and he was cleansed.  Then Naaman returned to the man of God with all his men. He entered and said to him, “Now I know that there is no other God anywhere in the world but in Israel.

 

Ps 42:2,3; 43:3,4

Athirst is my soul for the living God. when shall I go and  behold the face of God?

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 4:24-30

 Jesus added, “No prophet is honored in his own country.  Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens with­held rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land.

 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon.   There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian.”

 On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant.   They rose up and brought him out of the town,   to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, in­tending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

 

Gospel Reflection：

You are friend of others as long as you maintain your silence and not tell them the truth that hurts them. But once you burst their sense of safety and illusion of self-importance, all hell breaks loose.

They become fierce and violent because you destroyed their sense of peace built on a lie. This is what happened to Jesus in today’s gospel. He was welcomed as an honored guest by His countrymen and women.

They even ask Him to read the scriptures in their synagogue on a Sabbath. Yet, their reception changes when Jesus confronts them with the truth. Intending to kill Him, Jesus walks through their midst and goes His way. Their anger blinded them. The sure conviction that Jesus has made Him see clearly where He must go.