Gospel: (Luke 17:11-19)

As Jesus was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

Reflection:

Gratitude is an expression of discipleship and a sign of God’s reign. This gospel presents a foreign leper who asks for healing, obeys what is commanded, experiences healing, and then gives thanks to God. The faith that saves is the recognition that God acts in many ways on our behalf to bring us salvation. We are healed each time we come to Eucharist to give praise and thanks to God and in this act of worship we become more perfect members of the body of Christ. We are healed each time we put others ahead of ourselves and in these simple acts we strengthen our faith. We are healed each time we pause to “give thanks to God” for the many blessings of each day because by giving thanks to God we acknowledge that God has acted in Christ. By giving thanks we acknowledge our own indebtedness—we are poor and everything we are and are becoming is because God has raised us up. (Living Liturgy, p. 224)

Vincentian Meditation:

If we have a grateful heart, we will see everything as gifts of God. There is a beautiful prayer of St. Thomas More who, when he was rich and enjoyed much favor from King Henry VIII, always kept his heart detached from the things of life. The prayer goes:

“Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus Christ, for all that you have given me.
Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus Christ, for all that you have taken away from me.
Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus Christ, for all that You have left me.”

May God give us the grace to be grateful for everything He has given us and to show that gratitude by generosity to others and to those who are poor. (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p.204)

Discussion: (Share your thoughts after a moment of silence)

What do you “give thanks to God” for?

Closing Prayer:

Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus Christ,
-for all that you have given me.

Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus Christ,
-for all that you have taken away from me.

Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus Christ,
-for all that You have left me.

Amen