THANKSGIVING IS IMPORTANT

To be able to offer thanks, to be able to praise the Lord for what He has done for us: this is important!

ASK YOURSELF

... We can ask ourselves: Are we capable of saying "Thank you"? How many times do we say "Thank you" in our family, our community, and in the Church? How many times do we say "Thank you" to those who help us, to those close to us, to those who accompany us through life?

TAKING GOD FOR GRANTED

Often we take everything for granted! This also happens with God. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but to return and give thanks... This is why Jesus so emphasizes the failure of the nine ungrateful lepers: "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was no one found to return and give praise to give praise to God except this foreigner?" (Lk 17:17-18).

MARY, OUR MODEL

... We are given a model, indeed the model, to whom we can look: Mary, our Mother. After hearing the message of the Angel, she lifted up her heart in a song of praise and thanksgiving to God.

"THE FULLNESS OF JOY"

Let us ask our Lady to help us recognize that everything is God's gift, and to be able to say "Thank you". Then I assure you our joy will be complete. Only those who know how to say "Thank you", will experience the fullness of joy.

"A HUMBLE HEART"

It also takes humility to be able to give thanks... The heart of Mary, more than any other, is a humble heart, capable of accepting God's gifts... Let us ask ourselves it will do us good if we are prepared to accept God's gifts, or prefer instead to shut ourselves up within our forms of material security, intellectual security, the security of our plans.

LEARNING FROM THE SCORNED

Significantly, Naaman and the Samaritans were two foreigners. How many foreigners, including people of other religions, give us an example of values that we sometimes forget or put aside! Those living beside us, who may be scorned and sidelined because they are foreigners, can instead teach us how to walk on the path that the Lord wishes.

FAITH OVERCOMES DIFFICULTIES

The Mother of God, together with Joseph her spouse, knew what it was to live far from home. She too was long a foreigner in Egypt, far from her relatives and friends. Yet her faith was able to overcome the difficulties. Let us cling to this simple faith of the Holy Mother of God; let us ask her that we may always come back to Jesus and express our thanks for the many benefits we have received from His mercy.

(Source: Homily, Marian Jubilee, October 9, 2016)