LUKE 17:11-19 DON'T FORGET TO SAY THANK YOU

Wednesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

There is something we teach children from a very young age: when someone gives you something or does something kind for you, what do you say? "Thank you!" It is one of the first lessons in good manners. But as we grow older, sometimes we become so accustomed to receiving things that we forget to be grateful.

In today's Gospel, ten lepers approach Jesus and ask Him to have pity on them. Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they go, all ten are healed. But only one comes back to thank Jesus. And that man is a Samaritan, someone whom many people would not have expected to be the one who returned.

Jesus asks, "Where are the other nine?" All ten received the gift of healing, but only one returned to recognize the giver.

Isn't that sometimes true of us? We pray when we need something. We ask God for help when we are sick, worried, struggling, or facing a difficult situation. But when things get better, how often do we remember to return and thank Him?

We can become so focused on what we still don't have that we forget to appreciate what we have already received. We may overlook our health, our families, our friendships, our daily blessings, and even the simple gift of waking up to another day. Gratitude does not mean that everything in our lives is perfect. It means that even in difficult moments, we recognize that God has not abandoned us.

Today, let us not be like the nine who simply continued on their way. Let us be like the one who returned to Jesus with a grateful heart. Don't become so busy asking God for more that you forget to thank Him for what He has already given you.

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler