Let us Give Thanks!
Listening the Spirit
A Prayer of Gratitude
“Wherever we are, in every place,
at every hour, at every time,
every day and continually,
let all of us truly and humbly believe,
hold in our heart,
love, honor, adore, serve, praise
bless, glorify, exalt, magnify
and give thanks to the Most High
and Supreme Eternal God,
Trinity and Unity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
to Him who is Creator of all,
Savior of all,
without beginning or end,
unchangeable, invisible,
indescribable, ineffable,
incomprehensible,
unfathomable, blessed,
praiseworthy, glorious, exalted,
sublime, most high, gentle,
lovable, delightful and, above all else,
desirable, for ever and ever.”
–St. Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226)
Listening the Word: Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he 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
The episode of the Gospel of today shows us a miracle. Jesus cures ten lepers while sending them to show themselves to the priests. But there is an interesting gesture of a Samaritan who comes all the way back to give thanks for his healing which gains the praise of Jesus. Out of ten people only one foreigner comes back.
Leper was a sickness that ostracized people because of the connotation of sin and impurity. People infected with leprosy should leave their family and community to live as outcasts. Because of fear of the community or fear of infecting people dear to them, they were relegated to the margins of society both socially and geographically. The miracle that they received should have meant for them a new beginning and a new life. I am sure they were all happy and gave thanks to God, maybe shouting, maybe glorifying God. However, only one of them was praised by Jesus, our Lord.
The lonely man who came back to give thanks personally to Jesus showed great love for him. He didn’t just continue his journey to the priest or to his family. He was not satisfied by praising God or shouting full of joy for his healing. It is not enough a simple prayer in our heart or a “thanks be to God.” He came back and bowed down in front of Jesus. This way of doing called the attention and praise of Jesus. The praise of Jesus gives us a clue of the importance of putting ourselves at the feet of Jesus after receiving a grace from him. It is also a reminder for all of us to give thanks to God in a proper way.
Every time we come for the Eucharist, the thanksgiving per excellence, we are imitating the lonely Samaritan who put many other things below Jesus. We come and acknowledge that Jesus has done great things in our life and that we are here to adore him as our Lord. May we always appreciate this sacred moment of the Eucharist and put it above other commitments. Jesus is present here to welcome our thanksgiving every Sunday.
Lord Jesus, help us to be grateful with you, going back to your feet after every grace we receive from you, especially for the gift of your body and Blood that we receive every time in the Eucharist.
Reflection Questions
- When have I experienced God’s grace or healing in my life, and how have I expressed my gratitude to Him personally, like the Samaritan who returned to give thanks?
- Each time I participate in the Eucharist, do I truly recognize it as a moment of thanksgiving—placing Jesus above all other concerns and offering Him my heartfelt gratitude?
