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. Luke 17:15-16
Most of us think we don't have enough faith, especially when
our prayers don't get answered the way we'd like or when miracles we seek don't
happen.
However, the opposite is true: We have more than enough
faith, because it's a gift of the Holy Spirit, but we underestimate our faith.
Our faith is mediocre because our lives as Christians are mediocre. We are an
extraordinary people, but we're content with living merely ordinary lives so
that God cannot ask us to do something outside the box of our comfort zones.
I’ve noticed that converts to Catholicism tend to be more on
fire in their faith and more involved in the parish than "cradle Catholics".
I liken them to the non-Jewish leper in
today's Gospel reading, who returned to Jesus full of praise. But, given human
nature, I’m sure even they take at least some areas of our faith for granted. Converts
tend to be more excited about their faith because they gave up something to get
it.
The first reading at mass today reminds us of our responsibilities
as Christians. Sometimes we take for granted God's mercy and so we presume that
if we break laws, cooperate with dishonesty at work, complain about others,
quarrel, or react rudely, etc., God will so quickly forgive us that he won't
even notice it. When we take our faith for granted, we rationalize away the
wrongness of wrong-doings. This is the sin of presumption and one that I
confess to quite regularly, I’m afraid.
Have you ever noticed how many times Jesus says “Thank You” in the Gospels? It seems he says words of thanks only to His
Heavenly Father. Before He raised Lazarus from the dead Jesus prayed: “Father,
I thank you for having heard me…” (Jn 11:41) At the last Supper the night
before Jesus died “…taking bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to
them saying: ‘This is my body to be given for you.’” (Lk 22:18) Again before
Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the 5000, “Taking the seven
loaves, he gave thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to
distribute…” (Mk 8:6) Since everything belonged to the Father, His only
possible response to God was a simple “Thank you!”
But to everyone else who befriended or helped him Jesus
didn’t say “thanks”; instead he did something for them to show his gratitude.
When Peter allowed Jesus to use his boat as a pulpit, he didn’t say thanks.
Instead he provided him with the miraculous draft of fish. When Mary supplied
the amenities that Simon failed to offer, Jesus said her act of kindness would
be retold till the end of time. And when the Canaanite woman responded to his
request for a cup of water, Jesus gave her water springing up to eternal life,
the gift of faith.
When someone thanks us we know how it makes us feel
satisfied, sometimes even needed. This feeling bonds people together making us
realize that we are our neighbor’s keeper. Whereas ingratitude breeds
ingratitude. When people react in an ungrateful way, it distances people one
from another making them feel superfluous, perhaps even a nuisance or menace.
Following Jesus’ example is the path to holiness and eternal
life. So being ever ready to express gratitude by deeds, or at least words of
thanks, should be our spontaneous response to every act of help or kindness
shown to us.
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