Word to the Wise
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - St. Albert the Great
[Titus 3:1-7 and Luke 17:11-19]And one of them, realizing that 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?"
As I noted yesterday, expecting gratitude for being a good disciple is a precarious thing. This incident shows that Jesus himself even raised an eyebrow about lack of gratitude. The one leper who returns is the one who least had an expectation of being cured because of his ethnic status! The cure was not simply from disease but a complete restoration to one's family and community! Only the Samaritan comes back to say thanks! Perhaps we should add this angle to our consideration of gratitude (especially with Thanksgiving coming up). How often do we express thanksgiving to God for the blessings WE receive. When wondering where the gratitude is for what WE do, do we ever take note of the way we thank GOD for the blessings WE receive? In the long run it seems to me that if we concentrate on being grateful FOR what we receive instead of worrying about why others aren't grateful TO us for what we give, we'll be healthier spiritually. AMEN
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