Caught up in Blessings

This morning at Mass, the Gospel reading was 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 voice, 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.”

As the priest mulled over the passage with the congregation, he took the stance of the 9 lepers who did not return to give thanks to Jesus, pondering what might cause such ingratitude. Insightfully, however, he shared that in fact, it is likely that it was not that the other 9 lepers were ungrateful for the gift of healing, but rather that they were “so caught up in the blessing that they forgot the one who gave it.” He challenged himself and each of us sitting in the pews before him to look into our own lives and examine how aware we are of the Giver, from whom every good gift comes. How often do we forget to thank God for the moments, seemingly small or momentous, that bring us joy? How often are we so caught up in the blessing itself that we forget to thank the one who gave it?

Today…and Everyday…may we be People of Gratitude.

Here are just a few things I’ve been thankful for lately:

Time away with family…