“One of Them Returned” by Rev. Paul Berghout (@FatherPB)

“One of Them Returned” by Rev. Paul Berghout (@FatherPB)

Thanksgiving Day

Piety

And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you the joy of heart and may peace abide among you;

May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.  Sirach 50:22-24

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift As you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:4-7

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.”  Luke 17:15-19

Study

A man was choking on a bone. Immediately he called for a doctor who quickly removed it.

"What do I owe you?" asked the victim.

The doctor replied, "How about the amount you were ready to pay while the bone was still stuck in your throat?"

Yes, how quickly and easily we sometimes forget!

St. Paul did not have a routine pattern for giving thanks, but the overall view was that he paints a picture of himself as a model of a person who is continually rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks.

For example, in Thessalonians, Paul is thankful whenever he mentions the people.  He bases his entire relationship with the Thessalonians on his vision of the day when they will stand together before God (3:13).

In the spirit of St. Paul who expressed thanksgiving in varied ways, so will I, through some highlights—

Saint Squanto:  In 1621, the Mayflower pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.  Half of them died upon arrival.  However, thanks to an Indian who learned to speak English, Squanto helped them survive by teaching them how to grow corn and other staples.  The English enslaved Squanto, but the Spanish Franciscans freed him.  Afterward, the Spaniards catechized him in the Catholic faith and baptized him.

The first two historical Thanksgiving celebrations in what would become the United States happened on Sept. 8, 1565, in St. Augustine, Florida, and in what is now Texas on April 30, 1598.

Both times, they had Mass and then dined on duck, goose, fish, and more. 

Gratitude is born out of intentional awareness.

The word gratitude comes from the Latin Gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings.

In the Eucharistic Prayer, we give thanks to God for the whole work of salvation, and the offerings become the Body and Blood of Christ.

With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves.

A retreat master once suggested asking God for five more breaths and giving thanks after taking them as a reminder that we depend on God for everything.

There are some notable exceptions to the generally positive results in research on gratitude. One study found that middle-aged divorced women who kept gratitude journals were no more satisfied with their lives than those who did not.

Another study found that children and adolescents who wrote and delivered a thank-you letter to someone who made a difference in their lives may have made the other person happier — but did not improve their own well-being.

This finding suggests that gratitude is an attainment associated with emotional maturity.

Regardless of the inherent or the current level of someone's gratitude, it's a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.

So how does thankfulness affect your sleep? [from Cigna’s Omada Program]:  Think of it like a warm glass of milk for your anxious – or overly busy – mind. In one study, participants who kept a gratitude journal didn't just doze off faster, but slept longer and woke feeling more refreshed than their less mindful peers.

Action

Thankfully, no complicated strategy is needed to incorporate gratitude into your bedtime routine. Before you turn in, write down (or think about) one or more things from the day that for which you're grateful. Go for quality over quantity: Remembering one meaningful event in detail will impact you more than a long but superficial list. And, whenever you can, focus on people rather than things — gratitude for others releases more of the warm, fuzzy feelings that can lull you to sleep.

Going back to today’s Gospel on the one cured leper, out of ten, who returned to give thanks to Jesus:  "Why didn't I write that thank you note?" Why didn't I stop and call that person?" Friend, it's not too late so do it today.

Amen.