In today's Gospel, Luke poses an important question about discipleship: Who is righteous, unrighteous and self-righteous? In other words, Who is saved? Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself; O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous or even like this tax collector. but the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast and prayed: O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. God alone can make a person righteous, that is, saved.

Today, World Mission Sunday, is the day set aside by the Catholic Church throughout the world to publicly renew its commitment to its universal mission, its calling to bring the Good news of Christ to the ends of the earth. The Second Vatican Council reminded us that mission is rooted in the nature of the Church; it is the reason for its existence. The church is the community of Christ's disciples called and sent to continue the Mission of Jesus in the world. Pope Leo invites us all to reflect together on our common baptismal call to be 'missionaries of hope among the peoples and to commit ourselves anew to the sweet and joyful task of bringing Christ Jesus our Hope to the ends of the earth.'

Today's Gospel story tells us of a single non-Jewish leper who returned to thank Jesus for healing him, while the other nine now healed Jewish lepers went their way. Perhaps they were under the false impression that healing was their right as God's chosen people, so hurried off to obtain health certificates from the priests. ''Where are the other nine? Jesus asked of the returned Samaritan and the crowd.

All the three readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time speak a lot about ''Faith'' and how it works in our lives. They give us three dimensions of Faith. 1. The theological virtue of Faith enables us to believe something to be true and therefore worthy of trust simply because it has been revealed to us by God. 2. In his instructions to Timothy, Paul, who elsewhere defined Faith as '' the assurance of the things hoped for'' shows Faith operating as a believing, trusting, loving relationship with Christ. 3. Finally, Christian Faith is the trusting Faith in God in action, expressed by that steadfast loyalty, fidelity and total commitment to Him which results in our offering ourselves to Him in those we encounter through our humble, loving service.