Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

2 Kgs 5:14-17
Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4
2Tm 2:8-13
Lk 17:11-19

Today, being Stewardship Sunday or Super Collection Plat Sunday in our parish, I find it very fitting that we have these readings today. What I realize also is that Stewardship – that is, stewardship of time, talent, and treasure – is more than Turkey.

Brothers and Sisters: It’s more than Turkey!

If you all are good Catholics and listened to your Sunday school teacher growing up, you would remember the story of Elisha and Naaman, an Aramean army commander with leprosy. If you aren’t, when you go home today read this short little story. Naaman was a highly esteemed commander of a neighboring country of Israel called Aram, but he had leprosy. Naaman discovers that Israel has a prophet named Elisha who could possibly heal him. He goes to find him carrying with him 10 silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments – a lot of money in those days – as tribute for the healing. It was like he assumed that he was going to be healed and wanted to pay the healer for services rendered. (I wish it was as simple as that in our healthcare) So he goes to Elisha, with all this money and asks to be healed. You can imagine Naaman, a pagan idol worshipper, expecting Elisha to be a witch doctor with all the strange concoctions of medicines and strange dances, but Elisha is nothing of the sort.

Elisha tells Naaman, “Go and wash sevent times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” Badaboom-badabing. No problems. This isn’t strange to us, because we know that Jesus does this kind of thing all the time. But Naaman is incredulous! He leaves angry because he’s expecting Elisha to wave his magical hands and to invoke God to heal him and fix everything, but he’s told to go do something that soldiers should be used to doing, taking baths in rivers. To add insult to injury, he said seven times! (Naaman must have really smelt bad) His servants advise him to do what Elisha the prophet said to do; he does and is miraculously healed.

Naaman is incredibly grateful to Elisha and seeks to pay him for his service. Elisha refuses all these riches. What is interesting is that Naaman asks for two mule-loads of dirt. Taking a step back this is strange; but Naaman wants to worship Elisha’s god instead of the pagan idols in his home country. Gods have territories and so if you take a piece of Israel back with you, you get to have Israel’s god. (Please do not take the hymnals, the tiles, or the pews back home with you. You still have to come to Church on Sunday)

Through this healing, Naaman is converted to believing in and worshipping the true God. This is a beautiful story of thanksgiving and conversion, but most of all the start of a new relationship. You see, Elisha did not accept the payment, which was right on his part, but what he really desired is bringing people to God and that he did gladly. Now by Elisha’s actions, Naaman was forever grateful to God who does wonderous things. And for the rest of his life, he served the Lord.

Jesus too heals lepers in the Gospel today. Ten lepers were healed, but one, the foreigner is the one that comes back to thank Jesus. (This story always reminds me of the scolding I get when I forget to say thank you) Though the other nine did what Jesus told them to do, the foreigner knew who to thank. He was really changed and I am sure his life was never the same after that – worshiping God for the rest of his life.

Both of these stories involve miraculous healings and even in this day and age we see people healed and miracles happening around us. However, we know that the heart of the message today is not just the miracles and healings. They are incredibly great and awesome; especially when you experience them. But it’s not just that; it’s even more!

When the family comes together during Thanksgiving, it’s not really about the Turkey. It’s more than the Turkey!!! It’s about thanksgiving in the midst of family, a relationship! When the family comes together, the family shares in a unique relationship – even in the most awkward of situations. And that’s what it is about: Relationships.

Namaan’s life, because of his leprosy, was miraculously changed and so now had the opportunity to know God. Had Elisha accepted Namaan’s gold, Namaan would not have thought to worship God. Like a contract that accepts this in exchange for that, he has now entered into a relationship, a covenant with God instead, which is lasting forever.

All of us have received the graces and blessings of God daily. By the very fact that we exist, by the very fact that we are here today to worship the Lord, He has blessed. We have been given these wonderful gifts to be used whether it is kindness, generosity, charity, patience, or wealth. These are all God’s bountiful gift to us. We didn’t ask for them, they were unmerited and he didn’t have to give them to us. For those that are not hurting in this economy, it is his favor to you and your hard work in cooperation with Him. For those that can and do teach, serve, and spend time in our various different ministries, these are the Holy Spirit’s gift and favor to you and your hard work in cooperation with Him. I want to thank you all for using them well here in this parish. You are stewards of these gifts and blessings. Like Namaan, we should be ever grateful for God’s wonderful work in our lives. Like the Samaritan leper that came back to Jesus to thank him for healing, we too should know that all thanksgiving, glory and honor, riches and power belong to God.

But if we left it at that; if we just stopped in to Church to say thanks to God using our time and talent and treasure, as good stewards do; if we just stopped there, it would not be enough. At the heart of the message today like I said before: “It’s more than the Turkey!!” It’s more than eating the Turkey, it’s about the relationship of family and the love shared with one another. God gifts you so that you can love the ones around you, love the Church, work for the parish, etc. However, these gifts are not because he wants to use you for your money or for your time or for your talents. You are not simply a tool in the hands of God. You received these gifts because God has loved you first. You for you – He desires an intimate relationship with you.

Jesus Christ came to this earth so that we could come to know His Father, Our Father. Jesus wants us to partake with Him at this Holy Table of Thanksgiving. There’s no turkey here, but there is an offering of His complete self for us, uniting ourselves to Him, with Him and with each other. He wants to share this relationship with Him: together with Him we will die, live, and reign with Him forever and ever.