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The Attitude of Gratitude

Luke: 17: 11-21

As he 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.”

Dear Readers,

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), 'Pro Plancio,' 54 B.C.

This Thanksgiving, many of us will be gathered around a table. Most of us will be sitting in the same places we have sat in every year since we were children. The menu will be generally the same. The conversations will range in tone and topic. Most likely, all of us will be invited back on Friday for left overs. ---

Ahh, Thanksgiving with family. Yes, I am looking forward to it and I’m very grateful that I have a loving family to be with this Thanksgiving.

I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you can find some time to reflect on the blessing for which you are grateful. The wonderful reality behind God’s blessing is they are given to all of us unconditionally. In the Gospel from Luke, all ten were blessed with healing and yet, Jesus made no requirement nor expectation for his act of kindness.

Gratitude is the response of people who experience the graciousness of kindness, the generosity of loved ones, and the blessings of God in our lives. When we respond with gratitude we acknowledge the presence of the divine.

This Thanksgiving, I will be praying for all of you and your families. I will be praying that God will continue to watch over you and your children, and that God will bless you with a sense of fulfillment as you gather with your loved ones over the next few days. 

 Also, I want you to know how grateful I am that you are part of the educational community.
Happy Thanksgiving!

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