GRATITUDE IS A GREAT VIRTUE
Introduction
The first part of the text from the letter to Titus sounds like prayer Intercessions 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.
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. Amen!
1 Reading: Titus 3:1-7
Beloved: Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise. They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the kindness and generous love of God our Saviour appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1B-3A, 3BC-4, 5, 6
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.
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.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. R.
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.
Alleluia1 Thessalonians 5:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 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. 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.”
Commentary
Our reading from Titus today appears in part in our Christmas liturgy as a splendid expression of what the incarnation means. The Christians are advised to be submissive to civil authority and to be open to worthwhile enterprises. They are to be good citizens, always respectful of the rights of others and not given over to malicious or deceitful conduct. They are to remember that at a given time the kindness and love of God appeared in Christ our Saviour. Not because of our righteousness, but solely because of his mercy, we have been saved through baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit that has been poured out upon us.
Seen in the light of the Titus reading, the story of the lepers takes on even greater significance. The leper had no claim on Jesus. It is interesting to see how favourably Samaritans are viewed in the Lucan Gospel. The early church evidently made considerable inroads among this “separate” people, and in Jesus’ view they appear in a positive light. As in the epistle, the importance of gratitude takes on particular importance. Like the leper, we too have been favoured far beyond anything deserved. And how often do we return thanks to the giver?
There is a thought in the Gospel also against excluding any people from our concern for reasons of nationality, ethnicity, or race. The work of Jesus centered on breaking down barriers, not constructing them; building ways, not walls. We certainly do not want to be Christians with a bias or prejudice. There is no people excluded from God’s love.
Intercessions
– For the People of God, the Church, that our loving God may bless it for all 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. Amen!
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. we hear Amen!
Blessing
Go on your way, your faith has made you well. May we hear these words 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. Amen!