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When Jonah spoke, 120,000 wicked Ninevites listened and repented (Jon 3:10; 4:11). When Solomon spoke, the queen of the south “came from the farthest corner of the world to listen” (Lk 11:31). When Jesus speaks through the Church, in the Mass, through the Bible, and in our families, do we listen? How many of us are devoting ourselves to the apostles’ instructions, that is, the teachings of the Church? (see Acts 2:42) Are we reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Do we bother to find out what the Pope is teaching? Do we receive Jesus and His Word at Mass as much as possible? Do we use One Bread, One Body to help us sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His words at daily Mass? (see Lk 10:39) Because we take the Bible “not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God” (1 Thes 2:13), do we make time to read the Bible daily? Are we open to the Lord speaking to us through our family and the people we see each day? Is there any subject that we will not allow even God to mention to us?
Ask the Lord for the grace to listen to Him in your most difficult circumstance. Repent and feel your spiritual ears open. Deny yourself and hear Jesus’ words: “Blest are your ears because they hear. I assure you, many a prophet and many a saint longed to...hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Mt 13:16-17). “Let him who has ears heed the Spirit’s word” (Rv 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
Naaman in the first reading and the ten lepers in today’s Gospel reading had a lot to be thankful for (2 Kgs 5:14; Lk 17:14). They had been healed from the worst disease of the ancient world, leprosy. We, however, have a debt of gratitude much greater than that of all the lepers combined. We have not only received healing; we have received Jesus, the Source of all healing (see 1 Pt 2:24). God became a man and died on the cross for love of each one of us. We have been loved to the most extreme degree and have the most extreme reason to give thanks.
Imagine a car going out of control and about to run over you. Imagine someone throwing her body as a human shield between you and the oncoming car. You are saved, but the person who threw her body in front of you is severely injured. She is now quadriplegic — having no movement of her hands, arms, and legs. How could you thank her for saving your life? What if you went into her hospital room, said thanks, and gave her a $20 bill? Wouldn’t that be so inadequate? Wouldn’t your $20 bill be more ingratitude than gratitude?
What if you came before the bloodied, tortured, crucified Jesus and gave Him thanks, a few moments of prayer, and a few good deeds? Wouldn’t that be so inadequate? Give your whole life to Jesus. Offer your body to Jesus “as a living sacrifice” (Rm 12:1). Anything less than everything is incomplete. Give thanks appropriate to His crucified love.
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