Living in a Spirit of Gratitude

There was a 1st grade teacher at an inner-city school who, in the week before Thanksgiving, asked her students to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful. As she expected, most of the class drew pictures either of their families, or of the food they’d be having on the holiday; since they were all from a poor neighborhood, the chance to have a rare feast with their loved ones was naturally in their minds. However, there was one drawing that took her by surprise. It was by a boy named Douglas, whose life was even harder than that of the other students, and it consisted entirely of a simple, childishly drawn hand. The other students were intrigued by the drawing, since it was so different from their own, and they tried to guess whose hand it was. “I think it must be the hand of God because He’s the One Who gives us food,” one girl said. A boy suggested, “Maybe it’s the hand of the farmer who raises the turkeys.” Still another student guessed, “I’ll bet it’s the hand of our moms, because she cooks the turkeys.”  

After all the students had made their guesses, the teacher asked, “Douglas, whose hand is it?” To her surprise, Douglas answered, “It’s your hand, Teacher.” Upon hearing these words, the teacher recalled that several times at recess she had taken Douglas by the hand and walked him out to the playground.  She often did that with the children—but because Douglas was so neglected and forlorn, it obviously meant much more to him than to anyone else (Chicken Soup for the Soul, p. 133). As she realized this, the teacher was herself grateful that she had been given the chance to make a difference in someone else’s life. Many times God chooses to reach out and touch other people through us, and if our hearts are loving, He can easily do this, even if we’re not aware of it at the time. We should be aware of how much we need the Lord, and of how much He has already done for us. Our Father has blessed us in so many ways, and the best way to thank Him is to respond compassionately to the needs of others.

St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy (2:8-13) reminds us that God is faithful and trustworthy, and for this reason, we know He will help us in our time of need. We see this expressed in the healing of the lepers in 2 Kings (5:14-17) and the Gospel of Luke (17:11-19) where God worked through the prophet Elisha to heal Naaman the Syrian and Jesus healed the ten lepers He encountered at the border of Samaria and Galilee. These stories are often presented as lessons in gratitude. Nine of the ten lepers did not return to thank Jesus—not necessarily because they were ingrates, but because, as simple men, they were excited about the opportunity to return to their homes and families. Naaman the Syrian did return to thank Elisha, but it was easy for him; as an important court official for the king of Damascus, he had enough education to realize it would have been poor manners not to offer the prophet a gift in thanksgiving. However, the highest form of gratitude was shown by the one who, from a worldly perspective, had the least to be thankful for: the Samaritan leper. Unlike the other nine lepers, who were presumably Jewish and who would be accepted back into their society once their cure was verified, and unlike Naaman, who had a home and a family to return to, the Samaritan was used to living as an outcast on the margins of society; like Douglas in the story about the 1st graders, he had less reason to give thanks than the others, and so—like Douglas—he was profoundly grateful for the loving attention he received. Few if any of us are in this same desperate situation, but all of us can be like Douglas’ teacher in living thankfully by letting the healing love of Jesus touch others through us.

Each year, on Mission Sunday, Catholics are invited to offer prayers and financial support to assist in the ongoing efforts of missionaries and evangelists to spread the Gospel in more than 1000 mission dioceses throughout the world. Some of these efforts include that of a bishop caring for his flock during a war in the African nation of Sudan, a religious sister treating the ill and dying at a medical clinic in Rwanda, the faculty of a seminary training future priests for the nation of India, a religious brother teaching poor children in South Africa, and ordinary lay persons in Kenya sharing the Gospel after being trained as catechists. Thousands of priests and religious brothers and sisters dedicate their lives to the service of God’s people in mission lands, and over the years hundreds of priests and nuns and dedicated laypersons have given their lives as martyrs, being killed by terrorists or governments opposed to the Church. In spite of this, the Gospel continues to be preached in a spirit of generosity and trust—and you and I are called to enter into this spirit.

We have been blessed in so many ways, and the best way to thank God is to share His gifts with others—especially those in need. Contributing to the Mission Sunday collection is one possible response, and an important one—but we should also look for opportunities in everyday life: making time for someone who’s lonely, being extra patient with a person who’s having a difficult time, going out of our way to be friendly to a stranger or newcomer, giving a second chance to someone who’s let us down in an important matter, not always insisting on getting our own way, giving a child an extra measure of attention and acceptance, lending a helping hand even when it’s not convenient, paying a compliment to someone who’s insecure or easily overlooked, praying for a person we dislike, and offering love and encouragement to someone trying to discern and do the right thing.

Jesus wants us to be generous not only in sharing our money, but also in sharing our time and our emotional commitments and our love. We should begin every day with prayer, even if just for a few minutes, and part of that prayer might be, “Lord, help me to see Your presence in the people I encounter this day, and help me to recognize and use the opportunities You give me to serve others in Your Name.” An honest prayer like this will always be answered, and it will be a source of blessing for ourselves and those around us. As Douglas’ teacher was reminded, gratitude is a virtue that enriches many lives—and when we live in this spirit by reaching out to the needy of this world, we are offering our heavenly Father the highest possible thanks and praise.