Jesus asks today, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Lk 17:17). What’s going through Jesus’ heart when He asks these questions? He’s not bitter; God is incapable of bitterness. Perhaps sadness? Note that He’s not wondering why those healed didn’t thank Him; He’s wondering why they didn’t praise His Father.
We may realize: This is we. Sometimes we don’t thank God the Father. You know how we all dislike when people act entitled, taking us for granted, or don’t express any gratitude? Sometimes we don’t go back to praise Jesus, or we pray the Rosary for help but don’t pray it in thanksgiving.
“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. [Samaritans were not part of the Jewish people, so the implication will be that a foreigner will praise God whereas Jesus often saw His own people without faith. This happens also whenever we’re more polite to strangers than to our own family.] As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him… When Jesus saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean” (17:11-12,14). Let’s observe two levels of healing: physical healing and salvific healing. Jesus heals their leprosy—physical healing, but the text says ‘they were made clean,’ meaning they can return to their community and worship God—that’s salvific healing; it moves them closer to God. Whenever Jesus heals any problem, headaches, relationships, financial problems, He’s hoping that this gift will move us closer to Him.
It’s on this that we’re focused today: Gratitude isn’t only about saying ‘Thank You, Jesus,’ which is necessary and good, it’s about moving closer to Him in worship, going to Mass or the chapel to praise Him.
“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him… Then Jesus said… ‘Your faith has made you well [or whole]’” (17:15-16,19), meaning faith had re-established his relationship with the Father. Faith also recognizes that we don’t deserve this relationship—it’s a gift, and so we are grateful!
On August 17, 2025 one of our sisters was confirmed and, the day before she moved to Toronto, she filmed a thank-you. She filmed it many times because she was nervous, but needed and chose to do it because she was so grateful for the gift that the Father gave her.
Wow! Ana Maria’s relationship with Jesus had become so strong that she was telling others about Jesus and now invites us to put Jesus at the center of our lives! By the way, our Christ the King Challenge, when we ask if we’ve made the commitment to place Jesus the center of our lives, is coming up on November 23, 2025.
Does anyone remember the difference between gratitude in general and Christian gratitude? Many people speak of being grateful, which is good—but what’s the difference between that and Christian gratitude? Gratitude in general focuses on what we’ve been given. Christian gratitude focuses on who’s given it, and so thank the Father by name; thank Jesus by name, thank the Holy Spirit by name, thank our mother Mary and the saints by name.
With this in mind, I’d like to thank all of you. Last May, I went to South Carolina to talk about parish renewal and the local priest organizing it asked me to speak about God’s dream for our parishes and to tell the story of St. Anthony’s. During my preparation, I realized that, in many ways, I’m living my dream here, due in large part to all of you. Therefore, I want to thank you for loving Jesus and others, and helping me to live a priestly dream that few get to experience.
But thanking one another should lead to worship. In the Mass, have you ever thought about the beautiful invitation, ‘Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father’? There’s a distinction between the sacrifice of the priest, who confects the Eucharist (meaning, he transubstantiates the bread into Jesus’ Body), and that of the people, who offer what sacrifice? You offer yourselves, your needs, and your thanks to God—that’s your sacrifice.
Many of us were taught to make an intention when we come to Mass. For example, we offer our Mass that our parents come to Jesus, or, for the healing of a friend, or in thanksgiving. So, every time we go to Mass, we should at least mentally make our intention.
Finally, according to the Compendium of the Catechism, these are the 11 names for Mass: Eucharist; Holy Mass; Lord’s Supper; Breaking of the Bread; Eucharistic Celebration; Memorial of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord; Holy Sacrifice; Holy and Divine Liturgy; Sacred Mysteries; Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar; Holy Communion. Each explains a different aspect of the richness of Mass, but which do you think stands out as the richest? All are good, but Pope Benedict XVI, years ago, said, “the word ‘Eucharist’ [which means thanksgiving] points to the universal form of worship that took place in the Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection of Christ, and so it can happily serve as a summary of the idea of logikē latreia [Greek for worship and sacrifice with spirit and mind, that is to say, correct worship] and may legitimately serve as an appropriate designation for Christian worship” (The Spirit of the Liturgy, 50). The point is that the word for thanksgiving summarizes how we worship God the Father.
On this Thanksgiving weekend, a holiday that is Christian in its roots, we thank God the Father by name, through Jesus, in the Holy Spirit when we worship Them now.