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The Catholic Church traditionally dedicates the month of October to the Holy Rosary. During the Middle Ages, Saint Dominic, through the inspiration of Our Blessed Mother Mary, was the first to preach and teach the Rosary as a form of meditative prayer. Our Lady and three angels appeared to Saint Dominic. Mary him that the best weapon for the conversion of souls was to pray her Psalter. At the end of the fifteenth century, the Dominican Order gave the Rosary a structure similar to the one we have today. During this month, Catholics also celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7.
Throughout history, innumerable testimonies of conversions of those who did not believe in God have been recorded worldwide thanks to the praying of the Rosary. The Rosary is a true source of grace. God wants us to receive many blessings through the intercession of the Virgin Mary; after all, it was through her that we receive salvation. Pope Leo encourages all Catholics to pray the Rosary for peace during the month of October.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us. Amen.
We offer this adapted reflection on the Sunday Gospel by Father Michael Lavallee of the Diocese of Worcester:
In Sunday’s Gospel, the Apostles, after being unable to free someone from the power of a demon, ask Jesus to “increase our faith.” In response, Jesus tells them: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Rather than implying that the Apostles needed more faith to carry out their mission, Jesus suggests that they need only a bit of authentic faith to be fruitful in their efforts.
Jesus demonstrates the power of faith. The “mulberry tree” that Jesus moves in this account is the disfiguring disease of leprosy. Jesus’ miraculous healing of the ten lepers presents the significant themes of God’s compassion for the sinner, obedience, the importance of gratitude, and faith’s saving power.
Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, which took him through Samaria and Galilee. On his way to the Cross, Jesus was led by God on a journey to bring redemption to the people. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus announced the presence of the Kingdom of God. This kingdom is in opposition to the kingdom of evil that had held sway on earth since the fall of man. One of the manifestations of the evil kingdom’s power on earth was illness. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “In various forms—material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and psychological illness and death— human misery is the obvious sign of the inherited condition of frailty and need for salvation in which man finds himself as a consequence of original sin. This misery elicited the compassion of Christ the Savior” (2448).
Jesus showed compassion to ten lepers who met him as he entered a village. They stood at a distance and called out to Jesus for help. In Jesus’ day, leprosy was used for a wide variety of skin conditions. Those diagnosed with such an infection was quarantined to see if the disease would spread. The lepers were required by Jewish law to avoid contact with non-lepers (see Leviticus 13:45–46). Lepers depended on charity for their survival and stayed on the outskirts of towns.
The lepers addressed Jesus as Master, which suggests that they had some of faith in him. Jesus responded by directing them to “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” The lepers’ obedience to Jesus’ command shows us that trust in Jesus’ words and obedience to them is an essential part of Christian discipleship.
The obedience of the lepers to Jesus, in faith, led to their healing. This healing didn’t happen immediately but occurred as they were going. Trust in God was needed before the lepers experienced the full reward of such trust. Sadly, only “one of them . . . returned, glorifying God” in gratitude for his healing. Jesus’ response to the Samaritan leper’s gratitude was to ask where the others were. This implies that he was expecting them to show gratitude to God for what he had given them. Jesus tells the grateful Samaritan leper that “your faith has saved you!”
Sunday’s Gospel invites us to greater friendship with Jesus. Do we trust the Lord in his work? Do we have a sense of gratitude for what he has done for us? Do we have an obedience of faith when we listen to the Word of the Lord or teachings of the Church? Have we known Jesus’ compassion for us? May our reflection on this help us grow in faith.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to online resources.
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Holy Heroes
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
• Sunday Setup—Weekly Video and Post (courtesy of the Diocese of Bridgeport)
Other Resources
• Jubilee 2025
• Pope Leo XIV and the Papacy
For Catholic Schools
• Albert’s Expeditions Join Albert, a fierce yet friendly Peregrine Falcon, named after Saint Albert the Great (who even gave the Peregrine Falcon its name 800 years ago!) on scientific expeditions all around the globe. From under the soil to the sky full of stars, discover the stunning natural world full of life that God has created. Meant for children ages 5–10 and all families who want to learn more about their beautiful world around them and the Divine Creator who formed it all.
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus is our friend.
For this lesson, you will need crayons, scissors, tape, a stapler, 9″ X 12″ envelopes, story coloring page (one per child), a Church Year calendar, and aide(s) to help with the cutting and folding activity.
This Sunday’s Gospel talks about Jesus healing ten lepers. Simply explain to the children that leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is a skin disease that people in Jesus’ time were very afraid of catching. To protect their families and friends from catching leprosy, people who had this disease lived outside of the towns with other lepers. Help the children identify occasions when they are included and for which they can respond with thanksgiving, as one of the lepers did.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Promise
Lesson Theme: We can thank God.
For this lesson, you will need scissors, tape, drawing paper, crayons, “Thank you, Jesus!” bracelet strips, a Bible, a Church Year calendar, and aide(s) to help with cutting, folding, and taping. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 and make the “Thank you, Jesus!” bracelet strips (see page TG1-19) in advance.
In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus heals ten lepers. Simply explain to the children that leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is a skin disease that people in Jesus’ time were very afraid of catching. To protect their families and friends from catching leprosy, people who had this disease lived outside of the towns with other lepers. You might also wish to explain a bit about the relationship of Jewish people to people from Samaria. Jewish people in Jesus’ time looked down on and stayed away from people from Samaria. After sharing the Gospel, point out that it was a man from Samaria who came back to thank Jesus for healing him. Jesus’ followers would have been surprised that it was a man from Samaria who came back to thank Jesus.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus cares for and heals us.
For this lesson, gather scissors, game markers, crayons, dice, pencils, drawing paper, and a Church Year calendar. Plan ahead for a church visit.
This lesson introduces the children to sacraments as signs of Jesus’ love. Although they may still be concrete thinkers, Good News children can grasp the concept of signs. They recognize a hug as a way to show forgiveness, a meal as a gift of nourishment, a handshake as a promise of faithfulness. The Sunday Gospel about Jesus healing ten lepers will help the children connect Jesus’ action of healing to the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. The lesson plan suggests that you name all Seven Sacraments and invite the children to explore how Jesus shows his love for us in each one. Find these answers in the gold box on page TG1-19.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• The Seven Sacraments
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus cares for and heals us.
Gather pens or pencils, Bibles (one per pair of children), name cards and class motto from the 9/21 lesson, faith interviews (page 7 from the 10/5 lesson, and a Liturgical Year calendar.
Encourage the children to complete the cover activity first without any help. Then, if necessary, distribute the What the Church Believes and Teaches handbooks and direct them to refer to the page numbers after each clue.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Digital Story: Bartolome de las Casas
• Catholic Central: Anointing of the Sick
• Biography of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the First Native American Saint
Visions
Lesson Theme: God’s love is for all.
For this lesson, you will need pens or pencils, Bibles (one per student), and copies of your diocesan newspaper.
Invite the young people to reflect on the questions on the cover: Who is an outsider in their midst? When do they feel as though they have been outsiders? How does Jesus treat outsiders? Make sure to spend as much time with the story-comic as you would with another story or article.
This lesson introduces different forms of prayer. Students will have varying levels of familiarity with prayer forms. Encourage the young people to deepen their prayer practice and understanding.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Catholic Central: Prayer
• Why do bishops dress like this?
• Why does the bishop wear all that stuff?
• World Mission Sunday 2025
Image credit: Corinne SIMON/CIRIC
