28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

Luke 17:11-19

“‘Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?’" (Luke 17:17-18)

In today’s Gospel, ten lepers cry out to Jesus for mercy; He hears their plea, tells them to go and show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are healed. But only one, a Samaritan (foreigner), turns back to praise God.

The Gospel captures something essential about the Catholic faith: its universality. God’s mercy is not confined to one place, or one kind of person. The Lord’s compassion reaches across every boundary. Even the Samaritan, considered an outsider, becomes the model of faith, a man to whom Jesus says, "'Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.’"

The Gospel also reminds us that the Lord's miracles are never the end of the story or the sole point, but, rather, are invitations. Jesus heals the lepers and sends them on their way and what they do after the miracle matters. 

Where do we go when Jesus sends us out, and do we ever turn back to Jesus?

Turning back to the Lord is not simply a thank-you, but an act of repentance. To turn back is to reorient our hearts toward God, to recognize that the gift we’ve received demands a response of faith, worship, and love. This gratitude and acknowledgement of God’s hand becomes a way to deeper conversion. The Samaritan’s healing is made complete not just in restored flesh, but in a renewed relationship with Christ. 

The Catholic faith, in its universality, is not simply about miracles or mercy received; it is about what happens next. It is about turning back to the Lord who heals, saves, and sends us out again, not as the same people, but as witnesses of his mercy to the world. God’s blessings are meant to send us back to Him. 

Every answered prayer, every mercy received, calls us to turn around, to recognize and acknowledge the Lord as the giver.