2 Kings 5:14-17 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19
Today’s Gospel from Luke really got me thinking! How often do I have what is, in my own mind, a very important prayer concern that is causing me considerable anxiety. Perhaps it involves the health of a friend or relative. Perhaps it concerns a decision I must make about my future. Perhaps it has to do with a relationship that needs repair or reconciliation….You get the idea!
Once the situation is resolved - and often it is resolved in a marvelous way - I tend to put it out of my mind and move on with the hectic pace of life…going on to the next “important” task on my list. I don’t seem to spend very much time reflecting on the goodness of God, and how God helped me with the concern/petition about which I was praying.
I don’t think I am alone in this regard. I am willing to bet that a lot of us act this way. Oh sure, we may say a quick and cursory “Thank You, God”. But do we really take time to sit (or stand or walk) quietly with God and think about how much God loves us and cares for us. And do we say the kind of “Thank You” that comes from deep in our hearts and flows over God slowly, in a way that God can savor. Sometimes, in my own prayer life or in sessions with my spiritual directees, I will recall the remarkable words of Meister Eckhart, the 13th Century Dominican monk and mystic, who wrote: “Even if the only prayer you ever pray is ‘Thank You’ it would be enough.” To say “Thank You” to God in a way that demonstrates you are truly grateful and wonderfully joyous about your relationship with God is a beautiful prayer. Spoken slowly and with great feeling, then savored and reflected upon; this can be a very powerful and life-giving practice - a practice that will deepen your love and your appreciation for God. It has helped me greatly - I guarantee it! (Now, if I can just remember to do it more often!)
by: Bill Miller
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