But his servants came up and reasoned with him.
“My father,” they said,
“if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary,
would you not have done it?
All the more now, since he said to you,
‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.”
So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
at the word of the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.
On his arrival he stood before him and said,
“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel.”

I Kings 5: 13-15

Here are the complete readings for Monday, March 24, 2025

(“Naaman Cured of Leprosy”-Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, Tenn. )

We do not like to be reminded of what we know to be true about ourselves that must change. We call this nagging. At least when we are being harangued we know we need to make an adjustment. We just want to take care of things on our own schedule. What happens when we cannot even see that we need to change? What do we think of the people who lovingly remind us of the truth of our situation but we do not respond in kind? This has always been the role of the prophet in Scripture, to speak truth to powerful people but to do so not out of self-interest but out of love for the person or for the persons hurt by the others’ actions. In the book of Kings, Elisha is admirable for his courage but Naaman should also be commended for realizing he was wrong and letting his pride stand in the way for being healed. Can we avoid the reactions of Jesus’ neighbors and recognize that the prophets in our lives are trying to help us, and not shame us?

You are called
to a life of constant searching.
Let the developments and changes
of your times
be a source both of confidence and challenge to you.
For as your Founder wrote:
The Holy Spirit
does not let Himself be bound
by rules and models
but works where and as He wills.

 – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, when we are overwhelmed by new realities, help us to find space to locate the source of what troubles us. May we not be intimidated when what is familiar goes away and we encounter something or someone different that challenges our assumptions. Thank you for bringing us prophets who share your good news and draw us closer to you. Open our eyes and our hearts to your Spirit so we too may be prophets for your kingdom.

Amen