Reflecting on the gospel for this weekend, one might ask why the people got furious when Jesus mentioned or reminded them about the story of the Naaman the Syrian and the widow in
Zarephath during the time of the prophet Elisha. These two personalities that Jesus
mentioned have something in common: they were both from a pagan background and, on this account, they were considered to be outcasts and were marginalized. The point of Jesus in mentioning this story to his audience is to remind them and us that the grace of God operates in mysterious ways. One can never have an exclusive claim to God's salvation, and no one can ever limit where the grace of God operates. Jesus himself pointed out that the grace of God was offered even to the pagans like Naaman and the poor widow of Zarephath.
But a question arises - if God loves and offers his salvation to anyone, then why
become Catholic? What's the point? We are part of this church, and we have embraced this faith because Jesus Christ himself showed to us the way to the truth, and we are convinced of it. Embracing this truth is necessary for our own salvation. For those who are still struggling to belong to the Church, the hope is that their experience of the grace of God will lead them to the path of our faith just like Naaman did. For us who are already journeying in this faith, there is an expectation that our own lives, the way we practice our faith, must be a source of inspiration for others who are seeking the truth and not a stumbling block for them to experience the grace of God. Let us ask
ourselves this question: Is my life a source of inspiration to those who are seeking God?
~ Fr. Cary