Today’s readings present two men who receive a favor (a miracle, no less) from God and return to give him thanks. In the first reading, Naaman finally heeds the words of the prophet Elisha and washes himself in the river Jordan. Finding himself cured of his leprosy, he returns to the prophet to offer him gifts of gratitude and to ask his permission “to have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.” Gratitude is the recognition of the gift which in turn leads to the recognition of the giver. And since every gift comes from God, gratitude leads to God.
Likewise, in the gospel, the Samaritan leper obeys Jesus and goes to show himself to the priests. On his way, he is cured of his disease. He immediately returns to Jesus to give thanks. Jesus then asks him, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” What follows gives us an insight to the true value of gratitude – faith which saves. Jesus tells the Samaritan, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
The Samaritan does not receive only the gift of physical healing. Gratitude opens him to the greater gift of faith, and with it, an inner, complete and radical healing which is salvation. “Your faith has saved you.”
Pope Benedict has a beautiful comment on this. “Those who, like the healed Samaritan, know how to say ‘thank you’, show that they do not consider everything as their due but as a gift that comes ultimately from God, even when it arrives through men and women or through nature. Faith thus entails the opening of the person to the Lord’s grace; it means recognizing that everything is a gift, everything is grace. What a treasure is hidden in two small words: ‘thank you’!”
As a young priest, I once had an experience that left a profound impression on me. For several weeks I was visiting a young man (a former student of mine) who had only a few days to live but was extremely bitter with life and with everyone.
At one point, he suddenly asked me, “Der, unsa may pu’us sa kinabuhi?” Literally it means “What is the purpose of life?” But in Bisaya the question carries a more personal nuance: “Why am I alive/what do I live for?” I was taken aback by the question and groped for an answer. I frantically scanned in my mind the catechism, my retreat talks… Finally, the only answer I could give was, “God gave you life so you can experience his love.” He looked at me with a strange and quizzical look.
I felt foolish and embarrassed. “I know I don’t make sense,” I said. “I may even sound corny, but this is the only answer I know and believe in… Look at you. Your parents have practically left their job to stay with you 24/7 in the hospital. For weeks, I have seen so many of your friends, classmates and cousins visiting you. There is so much love in this room! Yet never have I heard you say a word of thanks to any of them…” He became quiet for a long time. A tear flowed from his eye. Then, he said, “Der, can you hear my confession?”
In my subsequent visits, I found him more serene. Now and then, I would catch him asking, “Mom, Dad, please hug me.” And for several minutes they would remain wrapped in each other’s arms.
There is so much love in our room! There is so much love in life. If only we are more mindful and thankful, it would not be too hard to find God.
Where there is gratitude, there is joy for joy is but an overflow of a grateful heart. Isaak Walton is right in saying that “God has two dwellings – one in heaven and the other in a thankful heart”.