We hear and say the word “thanks” fairly often, though perhaps not often enough and usually without much thought. Thanksgiving Day is our most popular national holiday, yet many folks do not recognize or acknowledge the religious dimension of that day. Last Sunday’s master-servant parable reminded us that we are God’s servants and have no reason to expect God to thank us for doing what God asks of us. But while God may have no obligation to thank us, we have an obligation to thank God. Today’s Scripture readings can help us to understand better the rich biblical concept of thanksgiving.
In the Bible, to give thanks means to state publicly that God is at work. It involves public witness. It could be in response to the creation of the world or, more personally, it could be in response to having been rescued from danger or illness. In this Sunday’s first reading, the healing of Naaman the Syrian from contagious skin disease is a good example of the biblical approach to thanksgiving. So is the Gospel story of the cleansing of the 10 individuals with leprosy. Those with leprosy believed in Jesus’ power to heal, and on their way the 10 found themselves to have been miraculously healed. All’s well that ends well, but not quite! Only one of those healed returns to Jesus to give public witness to God about his healing.
In our lives, public witness doesn’t necessitate posting expressions of gratitude on websites, parish bulletins, or social media. It does mean living our gratitude in such a way that no one can doubt that God is the Giver of all Gifts. It means helping others to see that we and they should never forget the Giver who is behind the gifts.
Fr Frank Reale, SJ
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