Would we have been the one who returned to thank Jesus? Or would we
have been one of the nine? Gratitude begins with the awareness that someone has done something for us. In order to be grateful to God we must be aware that God is the source of all that we are and have. Our response to God is gratitude. And we can best express our gratitude to God by accepting, developing and using all that He gave us to the best of our ability for ourselves and for others. Note that the one who comes back to thank Jesus is a Samaritan, not a Jew. He recognized that Jesus, a Jew, had done a great thing for him. Many people who are imitating Jesus do great things for us; our parents, family, friends, teachers, priest, deacons and other members of our faith community. We may not be able to repay them, but we can say “Thank you!” In thanking them we are thanking God for sending them to us. Gratitude is an important part of being a good steward. It is the beginning of generosity.
