March 15, 2004 - Monday, 3rd Week of Lent

Salvation for Pagans

Readings:
2 K 5:1-15; Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4; Lk 4:24-30

Introduction

Today's liturgy thinks especially of converts who are baptized immersed into baptismal water. Are conversion and missionary action still valid? Why be concerned about unknown, distant peoples? - Elisha cured the pagan officer from Damascus, Syria, and the man found both healing and faith. Jesus, not accepted as a prophet in his own town, says that salvation will be offered to pagans. That doesn't mean that the missionary will be always understood and welcome in the missions...

Opening Prayer

Lord God, our Father,
you want all people to be saved
through faith in Jesus Christ, your Son.
May Christians not practice
spiritual selfishness and clannishness
but may their faith mean so much to them
that they want to share it with others,
that your Son may be known and loved everywhere,
for he is the Lord of all for ever.

Scripture Readings

First Reading: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab

Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram,
was highly esteemed and respected by his master,
for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram.
But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.
Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel
a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman's wife.
"If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,"
she said to her mistress, "he would cure him of his leprosy."
Naaman went and told his lord
just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.
"Go," said the king of Aram.
"I will send along a letter to the king of Israel."
So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents,
six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.
To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read:
"With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you,
that you may cure him of his leprosy."

When he read the letter,
the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed:
"Am I a god with power over life and death,
that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy?
Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!"
When Elisha, the man of God,
heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments,
he sent word to the king:
"Why have you torn your garments?
Let him come to me and find out
that there is a prophet in Israel."

Naaman came with his horses and chariots
and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.
The prophet sent him the message:
"Go and wash seven times in the Jordan,
and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean."
But Naaman went away angry, saying,
"I thought that he would surely come out and stand there
to invoke the LORD his God,
and would move his hand over the spot,
and thus cure the leprosy.
Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar,
better than all the waters of Israel?
Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?"
With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his servants came up and reasoned with him.
"My father," they said,
"if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary,
would you not have done it?
All the more now, since he said to you,
‘Wash and be clean,' should you do as he said."
So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
at the word of the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.
On his arrival he stood before him and said,
"Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel."

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

R (see 42:3) Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
R Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

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

Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Gospel Reading: Lk 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.

Commentary

FRANCIS Bacon (1561-1626), the great English philosopher of the Renaissance period, wrote about the four kinds of "idols" that hinder understanding. 1. Idols of the tribe (idola tribus): these are errors inherent in human nature itself; the mind has a tendency to rest in received ideas that are pleasing to it, and to pass over instances that run counter to them. 2. Idols of the cave (idola specus): errors peculiar to each individual, arising from temperament, education, reading, and other special influences. 3. Idols of the market-place (idola fori): errors due to the influence of language. We are apt to think, for example, that there has to be some reality corresponding to every word we use; he gave the example of the word "chance". 4. Idols of the theatre (idola theatri): these are thought-systems of the past, which he held to be nothing better than stage-plays representing unreal worlds of people's own creation.

This is a formidable list, and it leaves the poor mind naked before the truth. But people have often used the expression "naked truth"; so it may be a good thing to be reminded that what conceals the truth from us is not something covering the truth, but something (or many things) covering the mind.

It's rather easy to apply this to the contemporaries of Jesus: they liked him while he said things they liked to hear, but when he said things they didn't like to hear they wanted to throw him over a cliff. As always, it is far more difficult (and urgent) to apply it to oneself.

General Intercessions

- For those who are preparing for baptism, that he word of God may become their guide in life and that baptism may renew them, we pray:

- For the Christian community, that they may prepare a hearty welcome and support for the newly baptized, we pray:

- For those who have joined us in the faith, that they may experience us as joyful, redeemed people who know how to love and to serve, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
may we have enough faith
to welcome your Son among us
in these simple signs of bread and wine.
May we and people everywhere
accept that you come to us all
with a human approach
through the humanity of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
Father of all people everywhere
strengthen with your word and your body and blood
all those who have left
country and culture
to bring your Good News
to different countries and other cultures.
May they humbly serve their new people,
receive their love and gifts of mind and heart,
and help the local Church
to grow in Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord.

Blessing

We should also think during Lent of converts who will be accepted into the Church through baptism, the great Lenten sacrament. It is not merely that individuals join us in the Church, but that the community of the Church must be ready to receive these people and to make them feel at home. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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