Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about gratitude and the power it has to transform our attitudes and our actions. Practicing gratitude can become a spiritual discipline as we take time frequently to call to mind the people, the things, the opportunities, the circumstances for which we’re grateful and offer them up to God in prayer. First and foremost, we pray in gratitude to God for God’s love, presence, grace, mercy, forgiveness, salvation – the list is endless as we recognize who God is for us and what God does for us. Gratitude is the antidote for nearly everything that distracts us and drags us down. Impossible situations, difficult people, anxiety, depression, sorrow, any form of suffering suddenly comes into a different light when we shine gratitude into it. While we’re not grateful for the hard things in life per se, when we choose to practice gratitude in the midst of them, we can experience growth in holiness as we gratefully unite our sufferings with those of Christ.
In today’s Gospel, ten lepers are healed but only one returns to offer his thanks and gratitude to Jesus. I’m surprised by the lack of gratitude by the nine. Not only did the Lord heal their physical affliction, but he restored them to their families, friends and community. Marginalized due to the contagious nature of their infectious skin disease, they had suffered the emotional pain of being disconnected and ostracized. I would imagine that the emotional pain of isolation was worse than the physical discomfort of their illness. It’s not my place to judge them for their lack of response to Christ’s dramatic intervention in their lives. It’s just surprising. But what about me; what about you? The nine lepers’ omission invites us to examine our own relationships with Jesus, and our responsiveness to his presence.
Hopefully we’re moved to gratitude for God’s obvious interventions in our lives. But what about the small things? Do I recognize and celebrate God’s love for me moment by moment? Am I aware of Jesus’ healing touch that reaches out to me daily in small or even seemingly insignificant ways? Do I give God the glory for every victory, every healing, every moment of conversion like the one leper did? Do I glorify God in my heart, in my words, and in my actions, or am I oblivious? Sometimes the healing I pray for does not come in the way that I envision or desire. Even then may I be grateful for God’s loving presence with me and cultivate a more radical heart of gratitude. I don’t ever want to be like one of the nine lepers who receive a touch from the Lord and simply walk away.
Today, let us practice gratitude as a spiritual discipline. As we go about our day, perhaps we can take moments here and there to express our gratitude to God. If it’s a hard day, a challenging day, speak gratefully into it. Allow a litany of thanksgiving to wash away the negativity, to blow out the cobwebs of despair. Let’s be people of radical gratitude today as we thank God for gifts both great and small and give God all the glory. Amen!
Elizabeth Wourms