“Loudly, Tirelessly Glorifying God” by Beth DeCristofaro

Mass for Thanksgiving Day

James Tissot - The Healing of Ten Lepers
(Guérison de dix lépreux) - Brooklyn Museum

… ten persons with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, 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?"  (Luke 17:12-17)

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 joy of heart and may peace abide among you;
May his goodness toward us endure in Israel (and Arlington Cursillo Communities) to deliver us in our days. (Sirach 50:22-24)

(Mass for the Day)

Study

Recently a family member was at a local grocery store ordering deli ham.  The clerk asked him what he was doing for Thanksgiving.  When he answered that he would be traveling to South America so would not have Thanksgiving this year she was very confused.  He explained that “Thanksgiving Day” is a holiday unique to the United States and that other countries did not celebrate it as such.  Of course, other countries have their days for giving thanks.  She seemed very sad at that information and very surprised that she did not realize the feasting of Turkey Day is a USofA phenomenon.

It strikes me that her confusion speaks to the small view we take of God’s grand world at times and the small view we take of our relationship with God.  How often we are wrapped up in our own lives without realizing that our own lives have such potential in them.  However, this view, with Me at the center, can cause us to look at others who are different – Samaritans or lepers or those-who-don’t-celebrate-Thanksgiving with a judgmental eye.  The leper in the story looked out of his own misery to recognize the wondrous gift just bestowed and the deeply spiritual need of his soul to give thanks.  How often do I take the opportunity to do the same even if it is to give thanks for others’ differentness?  How glorious a God who creates in His own, diverse image. 

Action

St. Francis de Sales said, “Strive to See God in All Things Without Exception.” And “Nothing is small in the Service of God.”  Even our small lives have God-value.  Do we celebrate that?  Do we recognize that our small life is part of grand All Things which God created?  Celebrate the wonder of God and the blessings of Divinity who walked among us and took notice of pariahs, those who are the most ill among us.

Illustration

James Tissot - The Healing of Ten Lepers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleansing_ten_lepers