From Promise to Thanksgiving: Our Journey of Faith

Today we reflect on two powerful passages from Scripture that speak to the very heart of our faith journey. In Galatians, St. Paul illuminates the promise God made to Abraham and his offspring—Christ—and how this promise shapes our understanding of salvation. In Luke's Gospel, we witness the healing of ten lepers, where only one returns to give thanks. These passages invite us to consider: How do we respond to God's promises and healing mercy in our lives? As the Baltimore Catechism teaches, 'Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God' (Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 28). Today, we explore how understanding God's promise of salvation through faith in Christ naturally leads to a heart overflowing with gratitude.

 

Let us turn to St. Paul's letter to the Galatians, chapter 3, verses 16-22 from the ESV-Catholic Edition: 'Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ... Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.' St. Paul makes a profound theological point here. The promise God made to Abraham finds its fulfillment not in the Law of Moses, but in the person of Jesus Christ. The Law served as our guardian, showing us our sinfulness and need for salvation, but it could never save us. The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches that 'The Law was given to the Jews through Moses, not to justify them, but rather to show them their sinfulness and to convince them of their weakness, and thus to prepare them for the coming of the Redeemer.' The Law points us to Christ, in whom all God's promises find their 'Yes' (2 Cor 1:20). Our inheritance as God's children comes not through legal observance but through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Now let us turn to Luke 17:11-19: 'On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."' This powerful account shows us something remarkable. All ten lepers received physical healing, but only one—a Samaritan, considered an outsider—returned to give thanks. Jesus' response is telling: 'Your faith has made you well.' The Greek word used here, 'sesōken,' means more than physical healing; it implies salvation, being made whole. The nine were cleansed of leprosy, but the grateful Samaritan received something greater—salvation. His gratitude revealed a faith that recognized the source of healing and mercy.

 

The Catholic understanding of these passages offers us a beautiful synthesis. The Baltimore Catechism defines faith as 'the virtue by which we firmly believe all the truths God has revealed, on the word of God revealing them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived' (Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 10). Yet this faith is never alone—it is always accompanied by hope and charity, and expressed through good works. St. Paul's teaching on the Law and promise does not negate the importance of our response to God's grace. Rather, it places that response in its proper context. We are saved by grace through faith—a gift from God—but this faith naturally produces gratitude and good works. As the Catechism of the Council of Trent states: 'Faith is not a bare knowledge or comprehension of the mysteries of religion; it is a pious affection of the will. It is that by which we piously and humbly receive the teaching which God has revealed.' Gratitude permeates all virtuous acts. It is the soil in which they grow. The grateful heart recognizes God's mercy and responds with love and service. This is why the Church's central act of worship is the Eucharist—a word derived from the Greek for 'thanksgiving.' Every time we gather at this altar, we reenact the grateful return of the healed leper, falling at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving.

 

The lives of the saints provide luminous examples of this grateful faith in action. Consider St. Thérèse of Lisieux, whose 'Little Way' was fundamentally an attitude of childlike gratitude for God's mercy. She wrote, 'What pleases Him is that He sees me loving my littleness and my poverty, the blind hope that I have in His mercy... It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love.' Or St. Maximilian Kolbe, who in the midst of the horrors of Auschwitz, maintained a spirit of thanksgiving, leading his fellow prisoners in prayer and ultimately offering his life for another prisoner. His gratitude for Christ's sacrifice empowered his own sacrificial love. Teresa of Calcutta embodied grateful faith through her service to the poorest of the poor. When asked how she could touch those with leprosy and other diseases, she simply replied, 'I see Jesus in every human being.' Her recognition of Christ in the suffering was a profound act of gratitude for her own salvation. And St. Augustine, whose journey from sin to sanctity is chronicled in his Confessions, wrote: 'Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!' His entire spiritual autobiography is a song of thanksgiving for God's patient mercy in his life.

 

How do we apply these truths in our daily lives? First, we must recognize that our relationship with God is based not on our perfect adherence to rules, but on His faithful promise fulfilled in Christ. This should liberate us from both legalism and despair over our failings. Second, like the grateful leper, we must continually return to Jesus with thanksgiving. This begins with our participation in the Eucharist—the supreme act of thanksgiving—but extends to our daily lives. Our gratitude for salvation naturally flows into service and generosity toward others. Third, we can cultivate specific practices of gratitude: - Begin each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for God's mercy - Keep a gratitude journal, noting God's blessings each evening - Practice the Examen, reviewing your day with gratitude - Express appreciation to others as a reflection of your gratitude to God - Serve those in need as a response to God's generosity toward you Finally, remember that gratitude is not just a feeling but a decision—a virtue to be cultivated even in difficult circumstances. As St. Paul writes, 'Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you' (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

 

Today we stand at the intersection of promise and gratitude. Like Abraham, we have received God's promise—fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Like the tenth leper, we are invited to return to the feet of Jesus with hearts full of thanksgiving. The Law could never save us, but it led us to Christ, in whom all God's promises are fulfilled. Our response to this incredible gift should be nothing less than profound gratitude—a gratitude that transforms our lives and spills over into love and service to others. As we prepare to receive the Eucharist—Christ's own Body and Blood given for us—let us become what we receive: people of thanksgiving. May our lives echo the words of Psalm 116: 'What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord' (Psalm 116:12-13). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.