28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily (2025)
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
2 Kings 5:14-17
Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 (see 2b)
2 Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19
October 12, 2025
Jesus was on a journey to Jerusalem, literally and spiritually.
We may not talk about it as a “journey” but we are all called to a spiritual journey to know God and to (hopefully) spend eternity with him in Heaven.
The question I put forth is do we journey alone or do we have people accompanying us on our journey.
As Jesus was on his journey to Jerusalem, He encountered a group of ten lepers who “stood at a distance from him.” Why did they stand at a distance? To protect others from the leprosy. In those days, it was medically appropriate yet it left the lepers isolated. Contact with others is something we need.
People were afraid of lepers. How many people over the centuries were sent off to isolation in leper colonies?
I want to focus on a different group that is sometimes shunned today, those dealing with mental health challenges. Today is Mental Health Sunday.
Mental health illnesses are not contagious like leprosy. Most people with mental health issues are safe and can live on their own.
What is your reaction when you see someone acting in a way indicative of mental health issues?
Is your reaction one of fear or Christian love?
Do you wish somebody would get them away from you?
This is a reaction of fear. Most people with mental health issues are not dangerous. Remember our Lord’s words, “Do not be afraid.”
Whether you are afraid or not, do you pray for them?
If you are trained in how to help, do you offer them loving help?
If you are not trained in how to help people with mental health issues, do you try to guide them with love to someone who can help them?
Naaman was a leper and yet still a great military leader. He sought help for his leprosy unsuccessfully until he learned of Elisha, a “man of God.” Through Elisha, God cured Naaman of his leprosy.
God is ready to help those with mental health issues. To invoke his help, we can call upon the intercession of St. Dymphna, patron saint of people suffering from mental illness.
God can offer help in different ways. We pray for miracles but God also works in less obvious ways. There are people who are trained counselors/therapists. Where do you think they received the gift to do this? They worked hard in college to learn but it requires a gift from God to offer good counseling. Like He did with Elisha, God works through counselors and therapists.
Some mental health issues have biological issues in the human body behind them. Here God provides the proper gifts to provide medical treatment for these conditions through medically trained mental health professionals.
People who struggle with mental health issues can feel like their lives are a constant rain that “hides the stars.” Their mental health issues can be “dark clouds” that “veil the sky.” It is a storm for them. In the midst of this, we need to help them know, like the song “The Clouds’ Veil” says, God is at their side. (“The Clouds’ Veil,” Laim Lawton, 1997. GIA Publications).
We need to do our part to accompany them, but, for those of us who are not trained in mental health care, how do we accompany them?
Our part starts with praying, that our Lord always goes before and follows after those struggling with mental health issues.
We may need to change our own perceptions regarding mental health issues so that we accompany people with the love of Christ.
To help us do this, our United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have created a new initiative, the “National Catholic Mental Health Campaign” with three goals.
- Raise Awareness of the mental health crisis
- To combat stigma surrounding the topic of mental health
- To advocate for all those impacted by the crisis.
For #1, the USCCB has created an “Introductory Statement” to help us better understand the reality of mental health.
For #2, the USCCB offers ideas for next steps on their website for the initiative, https://www.usccb.org/mental-health.
For #3, watch for opportunities to advocate for more mental health care options.
To help guide those seeking help, we have begun working on a list of local mental health resources. Knowing little of what local resources are available, I reached out to two parishioners who work in mental health care. They eagerly responded to help because they know more help is needed.
When the list is ready, we will make copies available in church and on our website. Because of the stigma about mental health care, people are reluctant to seek help. We need to do what we can to guide them to proper help.
The word “proper” is so important. Please don’t try to help in ways you are not qualified for. 15th Century St. John of God is another patron saint of those living with mental health challenges. At one point in his life, he was incorrectly diagnosed with a mental illness and was given horrific treatment.
What can everyone do to help?
Pray. One option for prayer is the novena offered by the USCCB. We put out copies last week to start the novena on Friday because it was World Mental Health Awareness Day but the novena can be prayed at anytime of the year.
Who are we to pray for?
First, obviously the people with mental health issues.
Secondly, the people who provide mental health care to those who need it (and for more people and resources to help).
Lastly, think of the families. Mental health issues can affect the whole family. Pray for them. Show them love. Show them that we care.
May God grant us the grace we need to accompany one another.