GRATITUDE

Gratitude is a memory of the heart. When we are grateful and thankful for something that has been done to us then it is an act of giving our heart. Today's 1st reading tells us of Naaman who was full of gratitude for being cured of leprosy. He made a radical decision of turning away from his previous gods and just offer praise to the one true God alone.

2 Kings 5:14-17
...“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel...I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD


We are all called to respond with gratitude to the Lord who has revealed His saving power to us. There is no doubt that the God of the house of Israel is still the same one true God of today. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
R: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
...He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.


I was just talking to a friend this morning and was telling her that we have a God who is trustworthy and reliable. A God whom we can rely, depend on and will never forsake nor abandon. If there are moments in our life when we are faced with trials and persecutions we can be assured of the fact that God never leaves His gaze on us. He knows exactly what is going on with our life and will always be a loving, merciful and powerful God who is able to see us through whatever we are going through. Amen. Hallelujah!


2 Timothy 2:8-13
...But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; 12 if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. 13 If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.


Can we expect to hear the same words of Jesus spoken to the cleansed leper to be spoken to us? Are we the grateful Samaritan or one of the other 9 who did not return to give thanks. Giving thanks come in so many ways and Jesus tells us the importance of it not for His own sake but for ours. Our thanks to God will not add anything to the greatness of God. God is great and mighty with or without our thanks. It is us who needs it. The more thankful we are the more we acknowledge God's goodness and become more open to His graces. Giving thanks to God works for our own good and to our advantage more than anyone and anything else. Amen. Hallelujah!


Luke 17:11-19
...Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”