MEMORIAL ST MARTIN OF TOURS, BISHOP, THIRTY-SECOND WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, NOVEMBER 11, 2026
Gospel
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.”
REFLECTION
...returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
"Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, only one, a Samaritan, returned to give thanks. The ingratitude of the other nine reminds me of the words of Isaiah 29:13: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
How many times have I cried out to Jesus for help, pleading for His mercy and intervention? And how many times, after receiving an answer to my prayers, have I offered a few hurried words of thanks and continued on my way? Unfortunately, there are times when I eagerly embrace the blessings but forget the One who bestowed them, almost as though I had accomplished everything on my own.
Even though we attend daily Mass, go to frequent confession, and faithfully recite our prayers, our hearts can still become distracted and distant from God. We can become so accustomed to His blessings that we begin to take them for granted.
Yet, in the midst of our busy lives, God remains ever present, continually pouring out His love and mercy.
The Samaritan's gratitude was more than a simple “thank you.” It was an expression of deep faith, humility, and love. He did not merely acknowledge his healing; he returned to Jesus, glorified God with a loud voice, and fell at His feet in thanksgiving. He recognized not only the gift but, more importantly, the Giver.
There is a profound difference between speaking words of gratitude and living a life of gratitude. True thanksgiving is reflected in the way we love God, trust Him, and serve others. It is not enough to thank Him with our lips if our hearts remain far from Him.
Perhaps the greatest lesson of the grateful Samaritan is that we should never become so absorbed in God's blessings that we forget to return to Him in love.
Thought for Today:
Comments