Your Faith has Saved You

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: October 12, 2025

Readings: 2 Kings 5:14–17; Psalm 98:1–4; 2 Timothy 2:8–13; Luke 17:11–19

Gratitude is the attitude of the heart. Gratitude swells out of the abundance of thankfulness. A grateful heart is joyful, blissful and faithful. Thanksgiving is a beautiful expression of our joy in having received some help or service. That's why everyone loves to hear the word "thanks." Unfortunately, it often remains just lip service. We must be thankful for what we have received. If we received some benefit or help, or assistance from someone, then we must return it more than what we have received. Only a grateful heart is a happy heart. Cultivating such a heart takes energy and effort. The liturgical readings on this 28th Sunday in Ordinary time invite us to be like that Namaan, a Syrian, a non-Jew, a Commander of the Army or that Samaritan leper who thanked God for all the healing they received. They made not only an extra effort to thank the person who healed them, but also continued to proclaim the mighty works of a God whom they did not believe earlier. 

1. Faith demands active listening

In this Sunday’s Gospel Luke 17:11–19, we meet ten lepers standing at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Their disease had separated them from their families, their communities, and even their places of worship. Yet, their cry of faith reaches Jesus — and He hears them. Jesus does not touch them or perform a dramatic miracle. He simply tells them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they obey, they are healed on the way. Moreover, all ten lepers were healed. God's love and mercy are for all people who are open and willing to receive it, regardless of their background or where they come from.

This is a profound moment of grace: healing comes not just through a touch, but through trust and obedience to the Word of Jesus. They listen to Jesus. When you listen to the right voices, you are blessed, you are made whole. Faith often demands that we walk in hope before seeing the miracle. Out of the ten who are healed, only one turns back. Only one pauses to give thanks. And that one is a Samaritan — a foreigner, someone considered an outsider. He falls at Jesus’ feet, praising God with a loud voice. Gratitude overflows from his heart.

2. Gratitude flows from faith

This one Samaritan leper recognizes that the source of his healing is not merely a ritual but the mercy of Jesus. His gratitude is not a polite gesture; it is a heartfelt act of worship. Many receive blessings, but few return to give thanks. True faith does not stop at receiving; it moves us to acknowledge the Giver. We do not know why the other nine did not return to thank Jesus, the healer. But we do know how easy it is for us to get distracted. To take for granted all the gifts that God has given us. The beauty of creation, the food that we eat, our friends and our family - all that we have comes from God.

Our spiritual journey is often filled with God’s quiet interventions — in moments of protection, provision, healing, and hope. How often do we pause, like the Samaritan, to turn back and say, “Thank you, Lord”? Gratitude is the language of faith. In a world where it is easy to focus on what we lack, the Gospel invites us to return to the Lord again and again in thanksgiving. Gratitude is not a one-time act but a daily posture of the heart.

3. God often works through the unexpected

It was the Samaritan, the outsider, who showed the truest response to grace. God often finds faith in unexpected places. He delights in hearts that are open, humble, and thankful. This challenges us to see God’s work beyond boundaries and to recognize grace in places we might overlook. The other nine were healed, but only the grateful one heard Jesus say, “Your faith has made you well.” Healing restored their bodies, but gratitude brought the Samaritan to the feet of Jesus. So let us turn to God in thanks and praise this week and open our hearts to God's healing love. Filled with gratitude and joy at what we have received, we are also called to be open and generous to others, despite the differences between us.

When we practice gratitude, something shifts within us. It deepens our relationship with God. It allows us to encounter not just the gift but the Giver Himself. Gratitude transforms healing into wholeness, blessing into communion, and faith into intimacy with Christ. The Church is called to be a community of grateful hearts — not merely recipients of blessings but witnesses to God’s mercy. Every Eucharist — the very word means “thanksgiving” — is an opportunity to be like the Samaritan leper: to fall at the feet of Jesus, acknowledge His goodness, and give thanks for the healing we have received and continue to receive.

Questions for self-reflection:

1. When have I experienced God’s healing or help in my life — physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
2. Do I pause to thank God for His blessings, or do I often move on once I’ve received what I prayed for?
3. Am I more focused on the gift or on the Giver of the gift?
4. What practical steps can I take to cultivate a deeper spirit of thanksgiving in my daily life?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, give us the grace to recognize your blessings in our lives. May we never take your mercy for granted. Teach us to turn back with grateful hearts, to fall at your feet, and to worship you in thanksgiving. Make us instruments of gratitude, so that our lives may be a hymn of praise to your glory. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

- Fr Olvin Veigas, SJ

Email: olvinveigas@jesuits.net
Blog: Celebrate Faith

09 October 2025

Lord, Increase our Faith

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: October 05, 2025

Readings: Habakkuk 1:2–3; 2:2–4; Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9; 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14; Luke 17:5–10

To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/o1AZFhQ3lgM

Faith is the greatest force in the world. Even that which looks completely impossible becomes possible if it is approached with faith. Often, we are worried for no reason! A senior person may worry because his or her children are away for the moment, and the person feels lonely. Or the worry about one's senior years may trouble him or her. A young person may worry about one's grades in studies, finding the right job and getting settled down, even though the person may be on the way to completing studies, has applied for a job or has plans to settle down in life. Things are going to happen, and they are on the way for the best of our abilities and time, yet we worry about those things which have not left us in delusion. Getting worried about things, even though they might not have any consequences immediately, seems to be a natural phenomenon that all of us go through. In this context, we have powerful readings on this Sunday's liturgy. Jesus says have faith and that will settle you.

Robin1. Faith is cultivated and not bought

The Gospel this Sunday, Luke 17:5–10 opens with the heartfelt plea of the apostles: “Lord, increase our faith!” It is a prayer of everyone. All of us look for a strong sense of faith. Faith is not something we can manufacture or produce in a factory by our own strength; it cannot be bought; it is a gift that grows when we remain close to the Lord. Jesus reminds us that even faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains, uproot trees, and do what seems impossible to our eyes. The point is not the size of our faith, but the presence of genuine trust in God. A small but living faith, surrendered to God, can unleash His power in ways far beyond our imagination.

God, who Gives life to all Things

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 28 September 2025

Readings: Amos 6:1, 4–7; Psalm 146:7–10; 1 Timothy 6:11–16; Luke 16:19–31

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/GrbVYZhl710

We live in a world of contrasts, those who have and have-nots. The rich man and Lazarus are found everywhere. The world of today needs more listening and acting, opening one's eyes and reacting. In recent months, we have been hearing that a new world order is being put in place. Instead of working with great world institutions like the United Nations, individual countries are determining the fate of the smaller and economically weaker countries. The strongest, the bulliest, and the proudest are the ones who seem to be winning the race for power, supremacy and influence. The smaller, weaker and silent countries seem to be just watching the game. In this context, we have this wonderful parable of the rich man and Lazarus. 

1. Visibility of contrast between the rich man and Lazarus

In the Gospel of Luke 16:19–31, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is one of Jesus’ most unsettling stories, not because it is mysterious or difficult to understand, but because it is painfully clear. We encounter two characters: one who “dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted magnificently every day,” and another, Lazarus, who lay at his gate, covered with sores, longing for scraps. The scandal here is not merely the contrast in wealth, but the extent of indifference between them. Their differences are stark and strangely disgusting as well. 

Impossibility of Serving both God and Mammon!

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: September 21, 2025

Readings: Amos 8:4–7; Psalm 113:1–2, 4–6, 7–8; 1 Timothy 2:1–8; Luke 16:1–13

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/l_ZJC5FUmNo

Having seen many frauds, bankruptcies, financial irregularities, illegal activities, and dishonest managers in the business world, often, business ethics emphasizes that it is better to have people of integrity and sincerity as CEO's and CFO's than brilliant, well-educated individuals in top-most business schools of the world, but who are dishonest and people of duplicity. The world needs people of integrity and honesty. Businesses are built on trust and loyalty. Relationships are established and furthered through sincerity and honesty. The liturgical readings of this Sunday, especially the Gospel reading, speaks about trust, honesty and loyalty. Jesus gives a parable to his disciples and invites them to be trustworthy and ethical in whatever they do.

1. Living with Purpose and Clarity

This Sunday’s Gospel from Luke 16:1–13 unsettles us, leaves us wondering what exactly Jesus is hinting at or what is bothering Jesus with regard to his relationship with the disciples. Jesus is straightforward in communicating to his disciples what he thinks about certain values and convictions that the disciples must embody. Perhaps Jesus must have witnessed something that was not to his taste among his disciples, especially with regard to their loyalty towards him.  Jesus tells the story of a dishonest steward who, when faced with losing his job, cleverly reduces the debts of his master’s clients in order to secure his future. At first glance, it seems like Jesus is praising dishonesty. But he isn’t commending the steward’s corruption—He is praising his shrewdness, his ability to act decisively in a moment of crisis.

The Cross: A Paradox of Glory

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14, 2025

Readings: Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-38; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/KIXGjZKJSXU

Who among us desires crosses in life? None of us. A cross is usually understood as suffering, and suffering, in itself, is painful and unwanted. Yet, when it is embraced with faith, suffering takes on a new meaning and dimension. It becomes purposeful. We suffer for many reasons: an illness that weakens the body, the burden of age that no longer allows us the energy of youth, the indifference or unkindness of colleagues at work, the loneliness of a partner who does not share our thoughts and feelings, or the disappointment of unfulfilled desires. We suffer when faced with social evils like corruption, nepotism, jealousy, inequality, injustice and favouritism. We suffer when we feel utterly alone, with no one to listen or to walk with us. These are the daily crosses we carry.

But Jesus carried not just a symbol of suffering, but a real Cross—up the hill of Calvary—upon which he gave his very life. That Cross was not freely chosen but forced upon him through betrayal and conspiracy. Yet, by accepting it in love and obedience to the Father, he transformed it into the very source of our salvation. As we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we are invited to do the same: to see our daily crosses not as meaningless burdens, but as paths to grace, redemption, and deeper union with Christ.

1. The Cross: A cause for greatness

Even before Jesus took up his Cross, thousands of people must have died on the cross during the Roman rule. Dying on the cross was the most shameful and heinous death a person could go through. However, with Jesus taking up the Cross, it becomes a symbol of salvation. The Cross, once a symbol of humiliation and death, becomes the very sign of life and victory. As Jesus says in John’s Gospel: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (Jn 3:14). On the Cross, the Son of God is lifted up not in defeat, but in triumph, bringing eternal life to all who believe. What the world saw as failure, God revealed as the supreme act of love: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16).

Spiritual Awakening When Things are Left on God

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: September 07, 2025

Readings: Wisdom 9:13–18; Psalm 90:3–6, 12–17; Philemon 1:9–10, 12–17; Luke 14:25–33

God has blessed us with human intelligence. It is to make the best use of it for our growth, development, joy and happiness. However, God has created us as unique and special beings in this world. We distinguish ourselves by the way we make use of our intelligence. The ultimate purpose of our intelligence is to make this world and our life beautiful. Through our intelligence, we are called to be co-creators with God. In other words, we are invited to be part of God's vision. The realization of God's vision is that the human person is fully alive and active in this world. The liturgical readings, especially the Gospel passage for this Sunday, invite us to make the best use of our intelligence. That's why Jesus suggests a few practical tips, perhaps business tips on how to build a house, how to defend or win over an enemy and finally how to be a true disciple of our Lord. 

1. True discipleship costs personal ambitions

In today’s Gospel Luke 14:25–33, Jesus speaks words that can sound hard to our ears: “Whoever does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple… Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” These words are not a rejection of family or of life itself, but a reminder that following Jesus requires total freedom of heart and complete commitment. It is to make a good judgment about one's life. Following the Lord is a commitment which might sometimes have to go against one's close family circles as well. 

Humility and Hospitality: The Way of Christ

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: August 31, 2025

Readings: Sirach 3:17–18, 20, 28–29; Psalm 68:4–7,10–11; Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–24; Luke 14:1, 7–14

The ultimate goal of our life, other than spiritual dimensions, is to live our life happily and contentedly. Therefore, whatever we speak, act or do must give joy to our lives as well as to the lives of others. Our journey of life must take others with us so that everyone has a place. No one is excluded; in fact, everyone is included. Such a broader view involves sacrifices on one's part, including one's readiness to be simple and trustworthy. In this context, the kingdom values like humility, justice, equality, truth, etc, are essential and have to be integrated into one's life. In other words, meaning-making is a lifelong process with enfolding and unfolding. The liturgical readings on this Sunday emphasize this aspect of meaning-making in our lives based on those Gospel values. 

1. Greatness in one's conduct

The Gospel this Sunday, Luke 14:1, 7–14, places us at a dinner table with Jesus. In that setting, he notices how people rush to occupy the seats of honour. With calm authority, Jesus turns this into a teaching moment—not just about table etiquette, but about the very heart of Christian living. “When you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place.” (Lk 14:10). This is not about false modesty; it is about humility rooted in truth. In a world that constantly pushes us to climb higher, to assert ourselves, and to grasp recognition, Jesus points to another way—the way of self-emptying love. The measure of our greatness is not in how high we sit, but in how deeply we can bend in service.

The Costly Ticket to Heaven

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time: August 24, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 66:18–21; Psalm 117:1, 2; Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13; Luke 13:22–30

Life is full of perplexity. Yet there is space for wonder, awe and amusement. We would like to have things happen to us just as we think. Unfortunately, it does not turn out to be so. Our destiny has many facets. We are uncertain about the future; moreover, we are uncertain of the present as well. Yet we make some calculated moves, hoping that everything will be on our side. In fact, the world in which we live sets many expectations and awaits results or output from us. The liturgical readings for this Sunday are unique, special and tough. Yet they teach us something that is very important for our lives, that is to live in the presence of God.

1. Discipleship Beyond Shortcuts

In this passage, Luke 13:22–30, Jesus is journeying toward Jerusalem, and someone asks Him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Often, we are not worried about ourselves and our salvation but of others. We are pretty kind, right? The answer of Jesus is straightforward. “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” What seems at first an abstract curiosity suddenly becomes deeply personal. The question is not about how many are saved, but rather, am I living as a disciple who seeks the Kingdom with all strength and sincerity?

Faith that Disturbs and Transforms

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time: August 17, 2025

Readings: Jeremiah 38:4–6, 8–10; Psalm 40:2–4, 18; Hebrews 12:1–4; Luke 12:49–53

Sometimes faith unsettles us. We are rattled by the very faith that we have when we are in the troubled waters. We call it "faith crisis." The undimmed faith is the one that can withstand the strong winds of doubt and disbelief. We are tossed by the fear of imminent fall or a longer period of suffering in our lives. There is no other cure or remedy except accepting what life is all about. To overcome the fear of doubt and suffering, we must inculcate in ourselves a strong sense of faith in a God in whom we put our trust. The liturgical readings for this Sunday do exactly what we have in mind. Prophet Jeremiah suffered from his own people and yet he overcame the fear of doubt and faith in Yaweh, who had called him to do His Will. Jesus puts very strongly that aspect of division which would occur because of faith in him. The letter to the Hebrews points to those people who have struggled to keep their faith and yet were successful and now enjoy the heavenly realm. In sum, all the readings encourage us to keep our focus and attention on Him and Him alone. 

1. God’s Rescue in the Darkest Pits

We see prophet Jeremiah in Ch. 38 being thrown into a cistern not because he had committed a crime, but because he dared to speak God’s truth in a time when it was unwelcome. He stood for God's justice. He spoke the truth. Unfortunately, truth hurts. Sadly, Jeremiah’s fidelity towards God is not rewarded with applause but with persecution. Poor prophet was always at the receiving end. St Oscar Romero said. "We know that every effort to improve society…is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us."