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Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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We’re now full swing into the holiday season. Thanksgiving’s here, Advent begins this weekend, and before you know it, we’ll be celebrating Christmas, even New Year’s Day!
I’m sure if we listened to the conversations taking place at each family dinner table this weekend, we’d hear our share of both blessings and complaints. But there’s often little reason for us to complain; so much of what we say depends upon our perspective.
Behind nearly every complaint, there’s something to be grateful for.
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For example, “The kids are all teenagers now. When they’re not on their phones, they’re giving me attitude. They can be so fresh!”
While teenagers may be crabby, at least your children are safe and sound.
Or, “Half my closet doesn’t fit me anymore. I still have to lose that ‘quarantine-15’ from COVID.”
Perhaps, but a pudgy waist means you’ve had enough to eat. Think about families going without meals in Ukraine.
Or, “Work is crazy. I’m being bombarded with emails.”
I hate emails, too. But those emails mean you’re important to someone, and you have a job that pays the bills.
Or, “I’m so tired today. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Restless nights happen. But at least you woke up today!
Or consider the leper in today’s Gospel. He might say, “I’ve spent the majority of my life as an outcast.”
But today you were healed by Jesus. Go and celebrate.
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Thanksgiving reminds us to have an attitude of gratitude. It doesn’t mean that our life circumstances have to change; rather, we simply change the way we see them.
So, what am I grateful for? And how can I share that joy with others?
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Image credits: (1) The History of Thanksgiving, The Science Academy STEM Magnet (2) 50 Thanksgiving Would You Rather IceBreakers, Kayla Rutledge, Sign Up Genius (3) Powerofpositivity.com