🙏 Introit (Ps 73: 20, 19, 23 | ib., 1)
Réspice, Dómine, in testaméntum tuum, et ánimas páuperum tuórum ne derelínquas in finem... Olhai propício, Senhor, para vossa aliança; não Vos esqueçais para sempre das almas de vossos pobres. Levantai-Vos, Senhor, e julgai a vossa causa; não Vos esqueçais das vozes dos que Vos invocam. Sl. Ó Deus, por que nos rejeitais para sempre e se acendeu vossa ira contra as ovelhas de vosso pasto? ℣. Glória ao Pai…
📜 Epistle (Gal 3:16-22)
Brethren: To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. He saith not, And to his seeds, as of many: but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise. Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one. Was the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe.
✝️ Gospel (Lk 17:11-19)
At that time, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain town, there met Him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off; and lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, master, have mercy on us. Whom when He saw, He said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his face before His feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger. And He said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.
Réspice, Dómine, in testaméntum tuum, et ánimas páuperum tuórum ne derelínquas in finem... Olhai propício, Senhor, para vossa aliança; não Vos esqueçais para sempre das almas de vossos pobres. Levantai-Vos, Senhor, e julgai a vossa causa; não Vos esqueçais das vozes dos que Vos invocam. Sl. Ó Deus, por que nos rejeitais para sempre e se acendeu vossa ira contra as ovelhas de vosso pasto? ℣. Glória ao Pai…
📜 Epistle (Gal 3:16-22)
Brethren: To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. He saith not, And to his seeds, as of many: but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise. Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one. Was the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe.
✝️ Gospel (Lk 17:11-19)
At that time, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain town, there met Him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off; and lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, master, have mercy on us. Whom when He saw, He said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his face before His feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger. And He said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.
🤔 Reflections
💡The healing of the ten lepers is an allegory of salvation. The ten represent all of humanity under the law of sin, symbolized by the Decalogue. While the nine Jews, representing the people of the Old Covenant, were cleansed only in the flesh because they did not return with gratitude to acknowledge the divinity in Christ, the Samaritan, a foreigner, personifies the Church of the Gentiles, which through faith and gratitude attains the salvation of the soul. Leprosy is the image of sin; only the grace of Christ can purify, but it is grateful faith that truly saves, as the Lord affirms: 'Your faith has saved you,' distinguishing bodily healing from spiritual salvation (St. Augustine, Sermon 176). The ingratitude of the nine is the greatest of sins, for whoever receives a benefit and is not thankful will in the future become careless in receiving others (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Psalms). The Law could prescribe purification rites, such as "show yourselves to the priests," but it could not confer the life of grace; that comes from the promise fulfilled in Christ and accessed by faith, as the Epistle teaches (St. Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke).
📖The episode of the healing of the ten lepers is narrated exclusively by St. Luke. However, St. Matthew and St. Mark report the healing of a single leper, adding significant details: Jesus, moved with compassion, touches the sick man (Mt 8:3; Mk 1:41), an act that demonstrates His sovereignty over the laws of ritual purity and His intimacy with the sufferer. Furthermore, the command to "make the offering prescribed by Moses" is more explicit in these gospels, underlining the fulfillment of the Law before its supersession by faith, which is the central focus of Luke's narrative. St. John does not narrate healings of leprosy, focusing instead on other miracles that reveal Christ's glory in a different manner.
🕊️Christ's statement to the Samaritan, "your faith has saved you," directly echoes the central theology of St. Paul, who distinguishes the justification obtained by faith from that sought through the works of the Law. In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul teaches that "a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law" (Rom 3:28), a principle perfectly illustrated by the Samaritan, who, being outside the Mosaic Law, attains salvation through faith in Christ. Moreover, the ingratitude of the nine contrasts with the Pauline exhortations to continuous thanksgiving, as in Colossians, where we read: "Be thankful... giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Col 3:15-17), showing that gratitude is an essential mark of the renewed life in Christ, which goes beyond the mere fulfillment of precepts.
🏛️The documents of the Magisterium, such as the decrees of the Council of Trent, delve deeper into the dynamics of salvation seen in the Gospel. The Council teaches that faith is "the beginning, the foundation, and the root of all justification," but that this faith must be living and operative through charity to be salvific (Session VI, Chap. 8). This distinguishes the initial faith of the ten lepers from the complete faith of the Samaritan, who returns in an act of love and gratitude. Additionally, the Roman Catechism, in discussing the sacrament of Penance, interprets Jesus' command "show yourselves to the priests" as a prefiguration of sacramental confession, in which the sinner, already forgiven by God through contrition, receives absolution and ecclesial reintegration by the authority of the priest, who confirms the healing from the leprosy of the soul.
🧐See English articles here.