4 MARCH – MONDAY IN THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

Epistle – 4 Kings v. 1‒15

In those days Naaman, general of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, for by him the Lord gave deliverance to Syria, and he was a valiant man and rich, but a leper. Now there had gone out robbers from Syria, and had led away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited upon Naaman’ wife. And she said to her mistress: “I wish my master had been with the prophet that is in Samaria. He would certainly have healed him of the leprosy which he has.” Then Naaman went in to his lord and told him, saying: “Thus and thus says the girl that came from the land of Israel.” And the king of Syria said to him: “Go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment, and brought the letter to the king of Israel, in these words: “When you will receive this letter, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may heal him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent his garments and said: “Am I God, to be able to kill and to give life, that this man has sent to me, to heal a man of his leprosy? Mark, and see how he seeks occasions against me.” And when Eliseus the man of God had heard this, to wit, that the king of Israel had rent his garments, he sent to him, saying: “Why have you rent your garments? Let him come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of the house of Eliseus, and Eliseus sent a messenger to him, saying: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will recover health, and you will be clean.” Naaman was angry and went away, saying: “I thought he would have come out to me, and standing, would have invoked the name of the Lord his God, and touched with his hand the place of the leprosy, and healed me. Are not the Abana, and the Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, that I may wash in them and be made clean?” So as he turned, and was going away with indignation, his servants came to him, and said to him: “Father, if the prophet had bid you do some great thing, surely you should have done it. How much rather what he now has said to you, ‘Wash and you will be clean?’” Then he went down and washed in the Jordan seven times according to the word of the man of God,; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and was made clean. And returning to the man of God with all his train, he came and stood before him and said: “In truth I know there is no other God in all the earth, but only in Israel.”

Thanks be to God.

Dom Prosper Guéranger:

Naaman’s leprosy is a figure of sin. There is but one cure for the loathsome malady of the Syrian officer: he must go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and he will be made clean. The Gentile, the infidel, the infant, with its stain of original sin — all may he made just and holy, but this can only be effected by water and the invocation of the Blessed Trinity. Naaman objects to the remedy as being too simple. He cannot believe that one so insignificant can be efficacious. He refuses to try it. He expected something more in accordance with reason — for instance, a miracle that would have done honour both to himself and the Prophet. This was the reasoning of many a Gentile when the Apostles went about preaching the Gospel, but they that believed, with simple-hearted faith in the power of water sanctified by Christ, received regeneration, and the baptismal font created a new people, composed of all nations of the earth. Naaman, who represents the Gentiles, was at length induced to believe, and his faith was rewarded by a complete cure. His flesh was restored like that of a little child which has never suffered taint or disease. Let us give glory to God who has endowed water with the heavenly power it now possesses. Let us praise Him for the wonderful workings of His grace, which produces in docile hearts that faith whose recompense is so magnificent.

Gospel – Luke iv. 23‒30

At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees: “Doubtless you will say to me this similitude: ‘Physician, heal yourself. As great things as we have heard done in Capharnaum, do also here in your own country.’” And He said: “Amen, I say to you that no prophet is accepted in his own country. In truth, I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the land: and to none of them was Elias sent, but to Sarephta of Sidon, to a widow woman. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elieus the prophet, and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.” And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things were filled with anger, and they rose up and thrust Him out of the city, and they brought him to the brow of the hill, on which their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He passing through the midst of them, went His way.

Praise be to you, O Christ.

Dom Prosper Guéranger:

Here again we find our Saviour proclaiming the mystery of the Gentiles being called to take the place of the incredulous Jews, and He mentions Naaman as an example of this merciful substitution. He also speaks, in the same sense, of the widow of Sarephta whose history we had a few days ago. This terrible resolution of our Lord to transfer His light from one people to another irritates the Pharisees of Nazareth against the Messiah. They know that Jesus, who has only just commenced His public life, has been working great miracles in Capharnaum: they would have Him honour their own little city in the same way, but Jesus knows that they would not be converted. Do these people of Nazareth so much as know Jesus? He has lived among them for eighteen years, during all which time He has been advancing in wisdom and age and grace before God and men (Luke ii. 52), but they despise Him, for He is a poor man, and the son of a carpenter. They do not even know that though He has passed so many years among them, He was not born in their city, but in Bethlehem. Not many days before this, Jesus had gone into the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke iv. 16‒22) and had explained, with marvellous eloquence and power, the Prophet Isaias. He told His audience that the time of mercy was come, and His discourse excited much surprise and admiration. But the Pharisees of the city despised His words. They have heard that He has been working great things in the neighbourhood. They are curious to see one of His miracles, but Jesus refuses to satisfy their unworthy desire. Let them recall to mind the discourse made by Jesus in their synagogue, and tremble at the announcement He then made to them, that the Gentiles were to become God’s chosen people. But the divine Prophet is not accepted in His own country, and had He not withdrawn Himself from the anger of His compatriots of Nazareth, the blood of the Just would have been shed that very day. But there is an unenviable privilege which belongs exclusively to Jerusalem — a Prophet cannot perish out of Jerusalem! (Luke viii. 33).