During his general audience, Pope Francis reflected on the importance of gratitude in prayer. Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers is an example.
By the writer of the Vatican News staff
As he continued his series of catechesis on prayer, Pope Francis during his general audience this week reflected on the importance of gratitude in prayer, which he said makes the world a better place and brings hope.
The ten lepers
As an example he took the episode of The Healing of the Ten Lepers in the Gospel of Luke. The ten suffered not only physically, but also under social and religious marginalization. However, Jesus did not hesitate to meet them. Sometimes He exceeded the restrictions imposed by the law and touched, hugged and healed the sick. In this case, however, there was no contact:
He heard their prayers, their cry for mercy, and sent them to the priests appointed by the law to confirm their healing and return them to normal life. But on the way, when they found themselves healed, only one returned to thank Jesus and praise God before going to the priests. That man was a Samaritan, kind of a “heretic” to the Jews of that time. And Jesus remarks, “Was there no one found that turned back to praise God except this foreigner?” (17:18).
Grace precedes thanksgiving
This episode, the Pope said, “divides the world into two: those who do not give thanks and those who do; those who accept everything as if it were due to them, and those who welcome everything as a gift, as grace. The Catechism says, “Every event and need can become a thanksgiving offering.” Therefore, the Pope said, the prayer of thanks always begins with the recognition that “grace precedes us.” “We were thought of before we learned to think; we were loved before we learned to love, we were desired before our hearts had a desire. ”“ Seeing life like this, ”he noted,“ then ‘thank you’ becomes the driving force of our time. ”
Gift of life
Pope Francis went on to explain that the word “Eucharist,” the most essential sacrament, is derived from the Greek word, meaning thanksgiving. And Christians, like all believers, praise God for the gift of life. ‘We were all born because someone wanted us to have life. And this is only the first in a long line of debt that we incur by living. Debts of Gratitude. “After God, educators, catechists, and others” looked at us with pure eyes and fulfilled their roles 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 inspires gratitude
The Pope continued his catechesis, saying that this “gratitude” grows when we meet Jesus. Jesus often brought joy and praise to God from those He met. We too are called to participate in this immense mood of jubilation, as shown in the episode of the ten lepers. They were happy to have their health restored, allowing them to “end that endless enforced quarantine that excludes them from the community.”
The joy of meeting Jesus
However, only one of them experiences an “extra joy” in his healing. He rejoices in meeting Jesus. He is now sure that he is loved. “And this is the crux of the matter. It is the discovery of love as the force that rules the world,” said the Pope, quoting the Italian poet Dante. For Christians, said the Pope, “this means that we have a home. we live in Christ, and from that ‘home’ we look at the rest of the world which seems infinitely more beautiful to us.
The Holy Father therefore urged Christians to always remain in the joy of encountering Jesus and to give thanks never to be forgotten. “If we’re grateful,” he said, “the world itself will get better, if only a little bit, but that’s enough to convey a little hope.” “Everything is united and connected, and everyone has to do their part wherever we are.”