Being Grateful

Luke 17: 11-19

Linnea Good, reflection on Luke 17:11-19

“Then one of them,

when he saw that he was healed,

turned back, praising God with a loud voice.”

It makes me wonder when each one of the ten discovered they had been healed.

Some of us are impulsive, quick to notice, judge and conclude.

Some of us need to go away and think a bit.

Some of us never notice the blessing we have received, how an old hurt has healed, an old grievance is long past, the tide has turned. We’re stuck in the disappointment and disillusionment, dwelling in the wrong that has been dealt us, or wounded to the point of not being able to see what has grown from the old loss.

Of course, Jesus is saying something more here: A so-called foreigner is the one who has seen the healing God has given him – who notices and praises God for the new life. Some of us have decided that people fall into certain categories: in-crowd or out-crowd, clean or unclean, foreigner or friend. When we carve up the world into these categories we are not able to see who each other really is, or what God is really doing on this Earth. All we’ll see is the shell of the person.

Again and again, as he criss-crosses the line between Samaria and Galilee, Jesus shows us our common humanity - as siblings in God. The first healing is of the ailment itself. The second one is in the noticing that it is happening. The third is noticing that God is doing this all over the place."

(Reflection on Luke 17:11-19 by Linnea Good. Used with permission.)

For this we are truly grateful. Amen.

Video: "a grateful day" created by Brother David Steidl-Rast. https://youtu.be/zSt7k_q_qRU

A Thanksgiving Blessing by Joyce Rupp, from "Out of the Ordinary"

Leader: May an abundance of gratitude burst forth as you reflect upon what you have received.

Response: May thanksgiving overflow in your heart, and often be proclaimed in your prayer.

Leader: May you gather around the table of your heart the ardent faithfulness, kindness, and goodness of each person who is true to you.

Response: May the harvest of your good actions bring forth plentiful fruit each day.

Leader: May you discover a cache of hidden wisdom among the people and events that have brought you distress and sorrow.

Response: May your basket of blessings surprise you with its rich diversity of gifts and its opportunities for growth.

Leader: May all that nourishes and resources your life bring you daily satisfaction and renewed hope.

Response: May you slow your hurried pace of life so you can be aware of, and enjoy, what you too easily take for granted.

Leader: May you always be open, willing, and ready to share your blessings with others.

Response: May you never forget the Generous One who loves you lavishly and unconditionally.

— from Out of the Ordinary, by Joyce Rupp

Gratitude From: Monasteries of the Heart

To be grateful for what is, instead of underscoring what is not. To find good amid the unwanted aspects of life, without denying the presence of the unwanted. To focus on beauty in the little things of life, as well as being deliberate about the great beauties of art, literature, music and nature. To be present to one's own small space of life, while stretching to the wide world beyond it. To find something to laugh about in every day, even when there seems nothing to laugh about. To search for and to see the good in others, rather than remembering their faults and weaknesses. To be thankful for each loving deed done by another, no matter how insignificant it might appear. To taste life to the fullest, and not take any part of it for granted. To seek to forgive others for their wrongdoings, even immense ones, and to put the past behind. To find ways to reach out and help the disenfranchised, while also preserving their dignity and self-worth. To be as loving and caring as possible, in a culture that consistently challenges these virtues. To remember to say or send "thank you" for whatever comes as a gift from another. To be at peace with what cannot be changed.