Memorial of Saint
Frances Cabrini, virgin
(Wisdom 6:1-11; Luke 17:11-19)
We should not be dismayed by the mindlessness of the nine
in today’s gospel who do not return to give thanks. Many of us act in the same way. We are often blessed but quickly forget the
Lord, the source of all goodness. We may
even attribute our blessing to luck or to some personal quality. We should emulate the man who seeks to pay
homage Jesus in gratitude.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini returned to the Lord after
receiving his blessing. She was at one
point so frail that the sisters who educated her refused her petition to join
them. Yet she persisted in serving the
Lord. Gathering a group of women around
her, she fulfilled her childhood hope of becoming a missionary. Mother Cabrini, as she was called,
established sixty-seven orphanages, schools, and hospitals. She worked largely as an Italian immigrant with
other immigrants in the United States.
Yet her dynamism did not stop at U.S. shores. She extended her reach to South America and
back to Europe.
Gratitude becomes a person. It bespeaks humility that enables him or her
to keep self-deceiving pride at bay. Recognizing
the connectedness of society, gratitude further impels one to assist
others. It is not surprising then to see
the Lord blessing the grateful cured leper with salvation.
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