Scripture Reflection, October 12, 2025, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Kings 5:14-17 2 Timothy2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! What beautiful words those are. And how important those words are for a healthy spirituality.

The Dominican Monk and mystic, Meister Eckhart has written: “Even if the only prayer you ever say to God is : ‘Thank you’, it would be enough.” On the surface, that may seem like an exaggeration; but in reality, the prayer of gratitude is, at the very least, a wonderful pathway into a much deeper relationship with God. Living with an attitude of gratitude toward the one who has created us - and has given us so very many wonderful gifts (in addition to the gifts of life and love) - perpetuates a process by which we are constantly being drawn into that more intimate relationship,

Think about it! Think about the people in your life to whom you have expressed heartfelt gratitude. Don’t you enjoy spending time with them? Don’t you enjoy getting to know them better? Haven’t some of them become your very best friends?

Today’s readings mesh together beautifully to make several significant points about gratitude: especially gratitude to the Lord. First of all, gratitude to God is contagious. Once you begin to practice it, you begin to find yourself being grateful to God more and more often, as you become ever more aware of the many “God-given gifts” you receive each and every day. Second, as in the story of Naaman (today’s first reading) an attitude of gratitude can change the way you live your life. It can carry over into many other areas of life, bringing joyfulness to your interactions with other persons and enhancing your self-esteem. And third, we should constantly remind ourselves not to take God’s gifts for granted, lest we become jaded, callous and forgetful of God’s goodness and love for us.

Many Scripture scholars surmise that nine of the lepers featured in today’s gospel were probably Jewish. As such, they may have taken for granted the healing power of Jesus the “amazing Jew” who was traveling around the countryside teaching and healing. The 10th leper may have been a Samaritan (referred to as a foreigner). He praised God. He thanked God. And his faith in God saved him and set him free.

Today I am asking God to help me remember where all the good gifts in my life come from.

Thank you! Two of the most beautiful words in the English language - in any language!

by: Bill Miller