TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(II Kings 5:14-17; II Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19)
Only in recent times have human rights been recognized.
After World War II the United Nations promulgated the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. Everyone can now claim freedom of religion, expression, and
education. We must affirm that awareness of human rights has been a giant step
forward to ensure the dignity of every human person. However, we cannot say
that the vindication of rights has not led to difficulties.
Today the emphasis on human rights has often contributed to
excessive preoccupation with the self. Too often the person claiming a right,
be it real or feigned, forgets about others. This trend is seen most dramatically
in so-called reproductive rights. Men as well as women insist that the mother
has the right to abort a child in the womb without recognizing the child's
right to life.
Another unfortunate result that overemphasis on rights has
brought about has been the neglect of gratitude. Sensing a right to food, to good
health, and to a thousand other things, some do not stop to say "thank
you" to their benefactors. It is the theme of the gospel today. Of the ten
lepers healed by Jesus, only the Samaritan returns to thank him. Yes, the nine
Jewish lepers go to see a priest as Jesus commanded, but don't they have just a
little time to thank Jesus first?
Gratitude for what is received never diminishes us. On the
contrary, it makes us greater. It proclaims the truth that life "is not an
inalienable property to be defended at all costs, but a gift to be
shared." Jesus himself taught us this the night before his crucifixion. He
gave us the Eucharist, a word that means “to give thanks,” when he shared his
body and blood with his disciples.
Even in hard times we can be grateful. There is an old
saying: "I cried because I had no shoes until I found a person with no
feet." Life itself, as has been indicated, is a gift. The sun that warms
us is also a gift and as is water that refreshes us. All this says nothing
about the human heritage that has been left to us: the electrical system, the
roads, the monuments, and the orchards.
In the first reading the Syrian general shows appropriate
gratitude to God for the gifts of life and health. He brings the land of Israel
home to give the Lord of Israel due worship. The gesture is extraordinary
because the man is a foreigner with little knowledge of the faith of Israel.
For the same reason, the faith expressed by the Samaritan leper who prostrates
himself before Jesus as the representative of the true God draws our attention.
As a reward for this faith, he receives the gift of salvation. It can be said
that ten lepers are cured of disease, but only the Samaritan who thanks Jesus
is saved
Let us not limit our gratitude to Thanksgiving Day! When are
other times to thank God? The ancient custom is to thank God for a blessing
before eating. Now this show of thanks in public is urgently needed as a way to
evangelize. There is no better way to end the day than to thank God for all the
blessings we have received and ask forgiveness for all our faults. We can also
thank God for a new day when we get out of bed. Above all, gratitude should be
both in our minds and in our hearts every time we enter church for Holy Mass.
