A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 17:11-19)
And one of [the lepers], 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.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus travels through Samaria and Galilee on the way to Jerusalem. The ten lepers he encounters cry out to him from a distance, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” Jesus tells them what to do to cleanse themselves. “Go show yourselves to the priests,” he says. But they are not healed immediately. Instead, as they go on their way they are cleansed, and only one returns to thank Jesus. Although the other nine lepers would have known almost immediately that the words of Jesus healed them, in ordinary experiences God works all things for good over greater spans of time. Consider the past weeks and months of this year. In what ways does a spirit of gratitude call to mind all of our blessings as individuals and as a nation?
God, you are present always amid everyday challenges, and you hear me when I cry out to you in prayer. Today, as you do every day, you give among all good things the gift of time and the encounter of your Son in the faces of others. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, help me be mindful of all you have done to make yourself known as the living God who walks with us day after day. And through the resurrection of your Son, who destroyed death and restored life, you invite us to the great feast in heaven, made present even now in the Eucharistic celebration. Free my heart from anything that would prevent me from falling at your feet in adoration and gratitude.
From the Gospel acclamation: “In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Father in heaven, help me have a thankful heart for all of your gifts.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.