20220321 THE GIFT OF BAPTISM IS RECEIVED BY FAITH
1 March, 2022, Monday, 3rd Week of Lent
First reading | 2 Kings 5:1-15 © |
There were many lepers in Israel, but only Naaman, the Syrian, was cured
Naaman, army commander to the king of Aram, was a man who enjoyed his master’s respect and favour, since through him the Lord had granted victory to the Aramaeans. But the man was a leper.
Now on one of their raids, the Aramaeans had carried off from the land of Israel a little girl who had become a servant of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would approach the prophet of Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy.’
Naaman went and told his master. ‘This and this’ he reported ‘is what the girl from the land of Israel said.’
‘Go by all means,’ said the king of Aram ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’
So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten festal robes. He presented the letter to the king of Israel. It read: ‘With this letter, I am sending my servant Naaman to you for you to cure him of his leprosy.’ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his garments. ‘Am I a god to give death and life,’ he said ‘that he sends a man to me and asks me to cure him of his leprosy? Listen to this, and take note of it and see how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.’
When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, ‘Why did you tear your garments? Let him come to me, and he will find there is a prophet in Israel.’
So Naaman came with his team and chariot and drew up at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent him a messenger to say, ‘Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will become clean once more.’
But Naaman was indignant and went off, saying, ‘Here was I thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprous part. Surely Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I not bathe in them and become clean?’ And he turned round and went off in a rage.
But his servants approached him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? All the more reason, then, when he says to you, “Bathe, and you will become clean.”’
So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.
Returning to Elisha with his whole escort, he went in and stood before him. ‘Now I know’ he said ‘that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 41(42):2-3,42:3-4 © |
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?
Like the deer that yearns
for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?
My soul is thirsting for God,
the God of my life;
when can I enter and see
the face of God?
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?
O send forth your light and your truth;
let these be my guide.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?
And I will come to the altar of God,
the God of my joy.
My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,
O God, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God?
Gospel Acclamation | 2Co6:2 |
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Now is the favourable time:
this is the day of salvation.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Or: | cf.Ps129:5,7 |
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word,
because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel | Luke 4:24-30 © |
No prophet is ever accepted in his own country
Jesus came to Nazara and spoke to the people in the synagogue: ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.
‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
THE GIFT OF BAPTISM IS RECEIVED BY FAITH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Kgs 5:1-15; Ps 42:2-3, 42:3-4; Lk 4:24-30]
The scripture readings today are illustrative of how one comes to faith and receives the gift of baptism so that one might have a new life. This gift of baptism is offered to all who desire it. Indeed, as Naaman exclaimed upon his recovery from leprosy, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.” Whether we are Israelites or Gentiles, the Lord wants to give us new life through the waters of baptism. All that is required for us to receive this gift is faith. Without faith, no new life is possible. This was the case of the Jews in today’s gospel. Jesus remarked, “There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.” Because they lacked faith in Him, “he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.” (Mk 6:5f)
Where does faith begin? Faith begins with a self-realization that we are insufficient. Indeed, many of us are like Naaman who was “the army commander to the king of Aram. He “was a man who enjoyed his master’s respect and favour, since through him the Lord had granted victory to the Arameans.” We too could be doing very well in life. We may have a successful career or a flourishing business. Our children could be doing well in their studies and career as well. Yet we know that something is lacking. Like the psalmist, deep in our hearts, we long for something more. Indeed, “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God. My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life: when can I enter and see the face of God? O send forth your light and your truth; let these be my guide. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.”
Faith is aroused when we know that we are weaklings. Naaman, until he was struck with the deadly disease of leprosy, was very confident of himself. He thought nothing in this world could overcome him and defeat him since he had conquered all his enemies. However, in the face of leprosy, his whole life collapsed and his career was in jeopardy. Indeed, when we are confronted with the mysteries of life and death, we will come to know our nothingness. We are after all finite beings and not that powerful and almighty as we imagine ourselves to be.
Most of all, faith is stirred up when we recognize our sinfulness, as in the case of Naaman’s leprosy. Leprosy in the scriptures is always the symbol of sin. Our sins, like leprosy, slowly eat us up as we become numb to our conscience so that what is wrong becomes right. Before we know it, our leprosy of sin is full-grown, causing us to be alienated from God and our loved ones. We become hostile to God, bitter with Him, resentful of others. In that state of sin, we fall into depression and meaninglessness.
Indeed, many of us who are in a state of emptiness, insufficiency and sin are looking for true peace and joy. In our desperation God sends us His messengers. To Naaman, He sent the little girl from Israel who was the servant of Naaman’s wife to prompt him to seek healing from the prophet Elisha. When Elisha asked him to perform the simple task of bathing seven times in the waters of the Jordan River, he was not amused and refused to do so. Had it not been for his servants who persuaded and rationalized with him as to why he should do as the prophet had told him to, he would not have received the healing from his leprosy and come to know the true God of Israel.
That is why it is important that we all play our part as believers to help people connect with the Lord. We do not have to be great theologians to introduce someone to Jesus. We can be like the servant girl who simply suggested to Naaman’s wife to look up the prophet. Talking and sharing about Jesus and what He has done for us is all we need to do. We do not have to talk about doctrines and teachings. Or we can be like the servants who journeyed with Naaman and when he was about to give up, gave him encouragement. We too must give encouragement to the catechumens, for like Naaman, when the going gets tough, or when faith is too demanding or illogical to them, they may be tempted to give up. This is where sponsors and those who are accompanying the catechumens are important, for they supply the faith when faith is lacking.
In the final analysis, what we have said until now is just the preparation for faith. What is necessary is that the unbeliever or the catechumen must now make an act of faith in the Lord. Faith is expressed in humility and obedience.
Humility is the pre-requisite for receiving the gift of baptism. Due to the lack of humility, Naaman almost lost the gift of new life. He was arrogant and mighty in his condescending attitude towards the prophet. He came with “ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten festal robes”, thinking that he could pay for the recovery of his health. When he reached the house of the prophet, he was expecting the prophet to receive him. Instead, the prophet sent a messenger to instruct him to “bathe seven times in the Jordan” for his flesh to be cleaned. “But Naaman was indignant and went off, saying, ‘Here was I thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprous part. Surely Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I not bathe in them and become clean?’ And he turned round and went off in a rage.” Unless we are humble enough to acknowledge that we are not that powerful after all, not that mighty and self-sufficient, God cannot give us new life.
Secondly, faith is expressed in obedience. It was only when Naaman obeyed after much encouragement that “he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.” We too must learn to obey the Word of God. When we believe, we will obey. The lack of obedience to the Word of God is seen in the rebellion of Catholics to what the Holy Scripture is teaching them. Although they profess faith in Christ they do not submit to all His teachings as contained in the Word of God. Instead, they pick and choose what they want to believe. This is tantamount to saying that they believe only in themselves and only when the bible agrees with them. Faith is to take the Word of God as it really is, not some human thinking but God’s words. (1 Th 2:13)
The most beautiful thing about the gift of baptism and new life is that it is purely a gift. We do not pay for our baptism as this gift is given freely without reservation. This explains why Elisha rejected the gifts from Naaman. He said, “‘As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!’ He urged him to accept, but he refused.” (2 Kg 5:15f) In contrast, Gehazi his servant was greedy and asked Naaman for some gifts for two of the prophets. But he kept them for himself. He was struck down by leprosy because of his greed and lies. (cf 2 Kg 5:19-27) Truly, baptism is and must always be seen as a free gift from God. Elisha never claimed that he healed the Commander. As far as he was concerned, it was the Lord that manifested His power in restoring his health. That was why he sent him to the river Jordan because the Lord sanctified the waters. Even the King of Israel recognized his helplessness to give life. He said, “Am I a god to give death and life,’ he said ‘that he sends a man to me and asks me to cure him of his leprosy? Listen to this, and take note of it and see how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.'” Let us therefore avail ourselves of this beautiful gift of baptism through humility and obedience in faith, and treasure it by growing in faith each day. In this way, we “will come to the altar of God,” the God of our joy and our redeemer.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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