Bible Diary

Daily Reading

St Martin of Tours

LECTIONARY
493

FIRST READING

Tit 3:1-7

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

PSALM

23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6

Response:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

GOSPEL

Lk 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Daily Reflection

There are some who consider philanthropy (the love for humanity shown in works of kindness) to be their spirituality! St Paul, in writing to Timothy, cautions that if we begin to believe that it is our works of righteousness alone that save us, then we will be convinced that it is we who work out our own salvation. Rather, it is by the grace of God that we are saved. Paul explains that this is why even those who had strayed from their relationship with God are saved when they come to experience His love.

In the Gospel, the one leper (a Samaritan) who came back to give thanks to Jesus, seemed to be the only one to have understood this, or else the other nine lepers, too, would have returned to give thanks.

The saint we honour today, Martin of Tours, a young catechumen recruited to the imperial cavalry, reached out with kindness to the less fortunate, only because he had first experienced the grace of God. The famous painting of a cavalry man dividing his cloak to clothe a half-naked, shivering beggar is testimony to this.