Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Gratitude
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. The first part of the text from the letter to Titus sounds like prayer intentions for the Christian community and may therefore reflect the liturgical life of the young Church. Then the letter says that the Spirit has been poured out abundantly on us at baptism.
Gospel. In the account of the cure of the ten lepers, Luke stresses the contrast between the nine Jews who, after their cure, go to comply with the rules of the law, but forget about gratitude, and the Samaritan who returns to thank Jesus. We, too, often forget to be grateful for gifts received. Maybe it is a bit humiliating to be reminded of our dependence on others… Let us not forget that God’s love comes to us usually through people who care and help. For all the good done to us, particularly through Jesus Christ, we give thanks in this eucharist, this thanksgiving.
Opening Prayer
Lord God,
from you comes all we are and have;
we owe you above all forgiveness and life
through your Son Jesus Christ.
We pray you today for grateful hearts.
Make us thankful for the right things,
not merely for being lucky in life
nor for the happiness of the self-satisfied
but for the joy that in him
even suffering and death have meaning.
Accept all our thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Exemplary Civic Behavior
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, and to be prepared for every good work.
Tell them not to insult anyone; they should not be quarrelsome, but gentle and understanding with everyone.
God’s Goodness and Tenderness
For we were once foolish, disobedient, and misled ourselves. We were slaves to our desires, pursuing all kinds of pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
Still, when the great goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
he saved us not because of any good deeds we did, but because of his mercy, through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit
poured out on us richly through Christ Jesus our Savior,
so that, being justified by his grace, we might become heirs, with the hope of eternal life.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled through Samaria and Galilee, and
as he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him.
Keeping their distance, they called to him:
“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Jesus told them:
“Go, and show yourselves to the priests.”
Then, as they were on their way, they realized they were healed.
One of them, as soon as he saw he was clean, turned back, praising God loudly;
and throwing himself at Jesus’ feet, he gave thanks. This man was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus asked him:
“Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine?
Did none of them decide to return and give praise to God, but this foreigner?”
And Jesus said to him:
“Stand up and go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the People of God, the Church, that our loving God may bless it for al that it has given us: God’s love, God’s life, and the guidance and strength of the Spirit, we pray:
– For our parents and all who have been good to us, that the heavenly Father may bless them and keep them in his love, we pray:
– For our country and our people, that God may bless them for the riches of our culture passed on to us and for the faith they have handed down to us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in this eucharist we celebrate
the thanksgiving of Jesus your Son.
Lord, we have much to thank you for.
With this bread and wine
allow us to praise and thank you
that by Jesus’ passion
we can win our struggles
and by his resurrection we gain
the courage to live, to be creative,
and to fill all we do with the depth of the love
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, our Father,
accept our gratitude
for the people you place on our way,
those who help us in the hour of need
or who remind us that we cannot be fully happy
as long as many of our brothers and sisters suffer.
May we win the right to be grateful
by committing ourselves to others,
as you have committed yourself to us
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Go on your way, your faith has made you well. May these be words we hear from the Lord as we give him thanks in this eucharist. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Gratitude is an attitude of being great
Luke 17:11-19
Once in South Africa, Gandhiji went to eat at a restaurant in Nettal. After finishing the meal, he thanked the person who served him. On hearing this, the waiter said, ‘you are the first person to thank me in my 25 years of service. I can't forget you.’ Greatness lies in living simple attitude devotedly. Gratitude and mindfulness are congenial to those who are great. Gratitude may be the purest measure of one’s character and spiritual condition. The absence of the ability to be grateful reveals self-centeredness.
1. Gratitude takes birth in those who are sensitive themselves and to their surroundings. Today’s Gospel reads that Jesus saw the ten with leprosy and he said… According to catholic social teaching, seeing necessarily has to lead one to act or to respond. Lepers saw and cried… Jesus saw and healed… and Samaritan saw and realised… If we truly open our eyes, we cannot escape the wonders of the Lord available all around us, particularly when we are faced with soul-longing moment, words cannot suffice what tears does in gratitude.
2. Before Jesus healed them, He put their faith and obedience to test by asking them to show themselves to the priest while they were not yet healed. They obeyed and so were healed. When we do what we can, Christ will do for us what we cannot. Our usual tendency is to demand or resist but the lepers believed and obeyed even before they saw the fruit of their prayer. Our faith will reflect our personal attitudes and judgements. They do influence our thoughts, feelings and actions. Because, faith is pivotal of our existence and will affect almost every aspect of our life.
3. Among the ten who were healed, only the Samaritan returned to thank the Lord. Often, the outsiders are more grateful to the Lord than the traditional Christians. For those who have become aware of God’s grace, their entire life is infused with a sense of gratitude. Gratitude does not depend on the amount or nature of the gift or help we receive, but on the nature of our maturity.
Do we thank God for his constant presence and providence? Let us see with an eye of faith and act with a sense of gratitude.