Readings: Galatians 3:16–22; Luke 17:11–19
On this Sunday the Church presents us with two passages that, when taken together, unfold the mystery of God’s covenantal fidelity and man’s proper response to grace: St. Paul’s teaching on the promise given to Abraham, and the healing of the ten lepers by Our Lord on His journey to Jerusalem.
The One Seed of Abraham
In the Epistle, St. Paul insists with great clarity: “To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. He saith not, ‘and to seeds,’ as of many; but as of one: ‘and to thy seed,’ which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16).
The Apostle here reminds the Galatians that the Law of Moses, given centuries later, could not annul the original promise made to Abraham. St. John Chrysostom comments that Paul carefully emphasizes the singularity of the Seed: “He does not say to the seeds, but to the seed, to show that the blessing belongs not to many peoples in themselves, but to one in Christ, who gathers all nations into one” (Homily on Galatians).
St. Augustine likewise explains: “The Law was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come. Not as if the Law was evil, but it could not justify; it made men aware of sin and thus led them to long for the grace of the Redeemer” (De Spiritu et Littera). Thus, the Old Law served as a pedagogue, a guardian preparing for the inheritance of grace.
The Epistle, then, teaches us that salvation does not come through works of the Law, but through the faith of Abraham, perfected in Christ. The promise is secure, not because of man’s fidelity, but because of God’s immutable oath.
The Healing of the Ten Lepers
In the Gospel, ten lepers approach Christ from afar, crying: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” They are commanded to show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are cleansed. Yet only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks, falling at the Lord’s feet in adoration.
St. Ambrose interprets the ten lepers as signifying mankind under the leprosy of sin: “Leprosy disfigures the body; sin disfigures the soul. All were cleansed, but one alone was made whole, because gratitude completed in him what faith had begun” (Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam).
St. Bede the Venerable adds: “Nine, representing the Jews who received the Law, were ungrateful for the grace of Christ; the one Samaritan, a foreigner, shows the Gentiles who, though strangers to the covenant, give glory to God for their healing” (Homilies on the Gospels).
The Gospel therefore reveals that healing begins with faith, but it is perfected by thanksgiving. The Samaritan recognizes the source of his cleansing, and in gratitude he receives more: not merely bodily health, but salvation itself, for Christ tells him, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Promise and Fulfillment in Thanksgiving
Taken together, the Epistle and Gospel draw our gaze to the unity of God’s plan. Abraham’s faith looked forward to the promised Seed; the Samaritan’s thanksgiving recognized that the promise had been fulfilled in Christ. The Law, like the nine ungrateful lepers, knew the shadow of God’s mercy, but without gratitude and faith in the Messiah, it remained incomplete.
As St. Augustine observes, “Grace is not given as a reward for works, but works themselves are given as a fruit of grace” (De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio). Thus, our healing from sin is wholly God’s gift, yet it requires the humble acknowledgment of our need and the grateful return of our hearts to Him.
Practical Application for the Christian Soul
The Church today urges us to examine our own gratitude. How often do we, like the nine, receive blessings and walk on, forgetting the Giver? Do we return to Christ in prayer, thanksgiving, and the Eucharistic Sacrifice, which is itself the supreme act of thanksgiving (Eucharistia)?
The Samaritan teaches us that salvation is not only to be healed of sin, but to live in continual thanksgiving to Christ. Faith leads us to cry out for mercy; gratitude leads us to abide in Him who is our inheritance.
Prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, promised Seed of Abraham and Healer of souls, grant us true faith to cry out for Thy mercy, and grateful hearts to return always to Thee. May our lives be an unceasing Eucharist, until Thou bringest us to the eternal inheritance with the saints. Amen.