Twenty Eighth Sunday, October 12, 2025
2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19
In the Gospel, we have the story of the ten lepers who came to Jesus for healing. Jesus is always present to heal us. Only one of them, a Samaritan healed of leprosy, returns to Jesus to praise God and express his gratitude for such grace, while the nine others who were healed show no gratitude at all.
The Gospel of this day presents to us a deeply moving story: ten lepers cry out to Jesus for healing. Jesus listens to their plea, and as they go on their way, all are made clean. Yet, out of the ten, only one returns to thank Him and that one is a Samaritan, a foreigner, a person least expected to do so. Jesus’ question still echoes through time: “Were not ten made clean? Where are the other nine?”
This simple question pierces our hearts today. In a world full of blessings, gifts, and opportunities, gratitude seems to have gone missing. We live in an age of entitlement, not appreciation. We have become so accustomed to receiving that we forget to thank; we demand more rather than delight in what we already have. The Gospel today invites us to pause, reflect, and recover the forgotten virtue of gratitude.
Look around our world today. We have become so advanced in technology, medicine, education, and communication. We can reach people in seconds, send money in minutes, and access information instantly. Yet, with all these blessings, have we grown more grateful or more demanding?
Many people today live with an attitude of “I deserve it.” Children often take their parents for granted. Students forget to thank their teachers. Citizens constantly criticize but rarely appreciate the good done by leaders. Even among religious and spiritual communities, gratitude is slowly fading. We expect comfort, appreciation, and recognition but we forget that life itself is a gift.
The nine lepers who walked away remind us of the many moments we take God and others for granted. We cry to God when we are in pain, but once healed, we disappear. When things go wrong, we blame God; when things go right, we forget Him. We have become a generation that prays in crisis and forgets in comfort.
The one leper who returned did not just say “thank you.” He turned back, praised God in a loud voice, and fell at the feet of Jesus. His gratitude was not a formality. It was a movement of the heart. Gratitude, when genuine, is not silent. It overflows into action, praise, and humility.
What makes the Samaritan’s gratitude so special is that he had every reason not to return. He was a foreigner, rejected by Jews, considered impure and unworthy. Yet, when grace touched his life, he did not allow pride, prejudice, or past wounds to block his thanksgiving. He recognised that what he received was a pure gift, not a reward.
Today, we too are called to turn back, to pause from our busy schedules, and recognize the Giver behind the gifts. Gratitude is not only saying “thank you” but also living thank you by how we treat others, how we respect creation, and how we live responsibly.
Notice that all ten lepers were healed, but only one was made whole. Jesus tells the Samaritan, “Your faith has made you well.” Gratitude not only heals the body; it heals the soul. When we thank, we are made whole. Gratitude restores relationships, heals brokenness, and brings joy.
We may have everything-health, success, money- but if we lack gratitude, our hearts remain empty. Ungrateful hearts are restless, complaining, and dissatisfied. Grateful hearts, on the other hand, radiate peace and joy even in the midst of hardship.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola said that ingratitude is “the root of all sin.” Why? Because when we forget the gifts of God, we stop seeing life as grace and start living as if we are self-made. Gratitude is the foundation of humility, and humility opens the way to holiness.
Let’s bring this Gospel closer to our own world. We live in times of war, violence, and growing divisions. The world is deeply polarized, nations against nations, communities against communities, even families against each other. The media often spreads negativity, fear, and complaints. Gratitude becomes countercultural in such a world.
In India, as elsewhere, we see people constantly dissatisfied with government, Church, community and even family. Social media has amplified our habit of complaining. We post rants instead of thank-yous. We share criticism faster than compliments. In a way, we have become the nine lepers-healed, helped, blessed, yet silent.
But there is hope. Gratitude can begin small a word of thanks to a cook, a smile to a security guard, a message of appreciation to a teacher or friend. Gratitude can transform our homes, parishes, and workplaces. It changes the atmosphere from one of complaint to one of celebration.
In the Church, too, gratitude must be renewed. We often see the weaknesses of priests, the failures of leaders, or the limitations of our communities. Yet, we forget the countless acts of love, sacrifice, and faith that sustain our Church daily. Gratitude allows us to see the grace even in imperfect people.
Another forgotten dimension of gratitude is towards creation. Our earth provides us with air, food, water, beauty, and life itself. Yet, we abuse it through greed, waste, and pollution. Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ reminds us that the earth is a gift, not a possession. Gratitude must move us to care for creation. The Samaritan’s act of thanksgiving can inspire us to live in right relationship not only with God and others, but with nature itself.
When we stop thanking, we start exploiting. Gratitude roots us again in wonder, it reminds us that we are not owners but stewards of God’s creation.
Jesus says to the Samaritan, “Your faith has made you well.” Faith and gratitude go hand in hand. Faith recognizes God’s hand in all things; gratitude responds with joy. A faith without gratitude is dry and lifeless; gratitude without faith becomes mere politeness.
In our spiritual journey, gratitude is prayer. When we thank, we pray twice. Every Eucharist we celebrate is an act of thanksgiving — Eucharistia means “thanksgiving.” Each Mass reminds us that our lives should be a living Eucharist, grateful, broken, and shared for others.
Living a Grateful Life
How can we cultivate gratitude in our lives today?
Remember the blessings daily. Begin and end your day by naming what you are grateful for.
Express it. Say “thank you” not only to God but to people around you. Gratitude unspoken is gratitude forgotten.
Turn back like the Samaritan. Pause, reflect, and thank even for the small graces.
Be grateful even in pain. Sometimes gratitude grows deepest in suffering, because it helps us see how God still sustains us.
Live your thank you. Let gratitude become your way of life in kindness, generosity, and joy.
Jesus’ question today is also addressed to each of us: “Where are the other nine?” Are we among those who forget, or those who return?
As we celebrate this Sunday, let us be that one Samaritan grateful, humble, and aware of God’s mercy. Let our lives reflect a deep “thank you” for the countless blessings we receive in daily life, health, relationships, community, vocation, and faith.
In a time when the world complains, may we become people of gratitude. In a time when hearts grow cold, may we keep the warmth of thanksgiving alive. And as we gather around the Eucharist today, may our prayer be simple and sincere:
Thank you, Lord, for all you have done, for all you are doing, and for all that is yet to come.
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