“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”“ Luke 17:11-19
I’d bet that many of us are more like the nine lepers who went along to the temple and then back to their old lives then the single ‘sinner’ leper who threw himself bay Jesus’ feet.
No, that’s not me! Look in the mirror and be honest with what you see. When you come to God with a need, big or small, do you expect Him to ‘perform’ a miracle for you so you can live your happy life? When He does something big for you, do you run back to life and work? How many times have you looked to God for help and when given turned back to God to thank Him? Not just a mild “hey, thanks” but throwing yourself at His feet and crying out at the top of your lungs “THANK YOU, LORD!!!!”
I’m guilty of a lack of gratitude so, no, I’m not pointing a finger. God has done so many great and miraculous things in my life, most of which I failed to even give a quick thanks. That attitude of pride has drawn me into a bad attitude. God spoke to me and gave me graces beyond graces when my daughter was first diagnosed. He did great things and I barely even noticed, so lost was I in getting on with life.
Having gone to Confession last night, I wonder how many times I walked from that incredible, miraculous healing without a glance back at Him. He just healed me from a mortal wound, one beyond just killing me. And, how did I react? Just like the nine. Jesus told me go and I went. Oh, I did the Act of Contrition and my assigned penance and then just went back to life. I reflect on last night’s cleansing at the confessional. I cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!” He gave me healing absolution and said to go back to the Church. I went out and knelt before the altar and nearly wept for joy. I was so grateful for His healing, I throes myself at His feet and thanked the Lord over and over.
After many months of asking the Lord to help my daughter, and many more months walking through the dark roads, it was in the Sacrament of Confession that I realized how much God had done for me and how ungrateful and prideful I had been. God spoke to me and was present many dark hours to guide and comfort me. He gave me the Divine Mercy devotion and introduced me to my patroness, St. Faustina. And, all I worried about was me. All I honestly prayed from is a sense of “I deserve for you to do for me.” My pride blinded me. In that Confession, I didn’t confess my pride or ingratitude, the priest, through Jesus’ eyes called it out. I didn’t trust God, I didn’t thank Him for anything He had done. And, that ingratitude blinded me to all the miracles Be had given me. When my eyes were opened, my blindness removed, I cried as I cried out my thanks to God.
From that day and I pray until I fall at His feet in Heaven, I come to God first with a heart of gratitude for all He’s done and is doing. Before I bring my need, I try to focus upon His gifts and call out my thanks at the ‘top of my voice’.
Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Start now! Bend your knee, tell God how thankful you are for each gift. Focus upon identifying those miracles, big and small. As you do this more and more you will see the tiniest of gifts as huge miracles calling to your heart to praise and thank God.
Don’t be like the nine who had no humility, no gratitude toward God. All they wanted was what God would do for them, they didn’t truly want to give their thanks or their heart to Him, just the healing and their own life back. Not the life He gave them.