杏MAP导航

By Vatican News staff writer

Continuing his series of catechesis on prayer, 杏MAP导航 Francis, during his general audience this week, dwelt upon the importance of gratitude in prayer, which he said makes the world better and brings hope. 

The Ten Lepers

As a case in point, he took the episode of the healing of the ten lepers in the Gospel of Luke.  The ten not only suffered physically but also from social and religious marginalization. "However, Jesus did not back off from meeting them. Sometimes, He surpassed the limitations imposed by the law and touched, embraced and healed the sick person. However, in this case, there was no contact":

He heard their prayer, their cry for mercy, and sent them to the priests who were designated by law to certify their healing and re-admit them to normal life.  But on their way, when they found themselves healed, only one returned to thank Jesus and praise God before proceeding to the priests. That man was a Samaritan, a sort of 鈥渉eretic鈥� for the Jews of that time.  And Jesus comments: 鈥淲as no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?鈥� (17:18).

Grace precedes thanksgiving

This episode, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渄ivides the world in two: those who do not give thanks and those who do; those who take everything as if it is owed them, and those who welcome everything as a gift, as grace.鈥�  The Catechism says, 鈥淓very event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving.鈥�  Hence, the 杏MAP导航 said, the prayer of thanksgiving always begins with recognizing that 鈥済race precedes us鈥�.  鈥淲e were thought of before we learned how to think; we were loved before we learned how to love; we were desired before our hearts conceived a desire.鈥�  鈥淚f we view life like this,鈥� he pointed out, 鈥渢hen 鈥榯hank you鈥� becomes the driving force of our day.鈥� 

Gift of life

杏MAP导航 Francis then explained that the word 鈥淓ucharist,鈥� the most essential Sacrament, is derived from the Greek word, which means thanksgiving. And Christians,  as all believers, bless God for the gift of life. 鈥淎ll of us are born because someone wanted us to have life. And this is only the first of a long series of debts that we incur by living. Debts of gratitude.鈥�  After God, educators, catechists and others "gazed on us with pure eyes and carried out their roles above and beyond what was required of them.  They provoked us to be grateful. Even friendship is a gift for which we should always be grateful."

Love begets gratitude

Continuing his catechesis, the 杏MAP导航 said that this 鈥済ratitude鈥� grows in meeting Jesus.  Jesus often provoked joy and praise to God in those whom He met. We too are called to participate in this immense jubilation as the episode of the ten lepers points out.  They were happy for recovering their health, which allowed them to 鈥渆nd that unending forced quarantine that excluded them from the community鈥�.  

The joy of encountering Jesus

However, only one among them experiences an 鈥渁dditional joy鈥� in his healing.  鈥淗e rejoices at meeting Jesus. He now is certain of being loved.鈥� And this is the crux of the matter.  It is the discovery of love as the force that governs the world, the 杏MAP导航 said, quoting the Italian poet Dante. For Christians, the 杏MAP导航 said, "this means we have a home, we dwell in Christ, and from that 'dwelling' we contemplate the rest of the world which appears infinitely more beautiful to us.

The Holy Father, thus, urged Christians to seek to remain always in the joy of encountering Jesus, never forgetting to give thanks. 鈥淚f we are bearers of gratitude,鈥� he said, 鈥渢he world itself will become better, even if only a little bit, but that is enough to transmit a bit of hope.鈥�  鈥淓verything is united and connected, and everyone needs to do his or her part wherever we are.鈥�