Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Picnic area from across MSF Lake

Stand up and go. Your faith has saved you.

Recently, during our daily readings, we heard God’s complaint from the Prophet Micah:

Hear, O mountains, the plea of the Lord, pay attention, O foundations of the earth!

For the Lord has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel.

O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!

For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

My people, remember what Moab's King Balak planned, and how Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him....

Our scriptures record our history and our history continually reminds us of God’s goodness to us. God has chosen and delivered us from innumerable trials and challenges. There are catastrophes that we share as the entire Church, as individual churches, as families, and as individuals. We should often reflect on our personal stories of healing, deliverance and blessings.

God’s complaint is that we have forgotten His blessings and, consequently, we have been neither grateful nor faithful to God.

How can we expect to receive blessings if we don’t even remember what they look like, or what to ask for?

How can we expect to receive blessings if we have shown little appreciation for the graces we have already received.

When Job tells his wife, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” we realize he is so profoundly aware of God’s favor he can overlook what should be devastating disappointment.

Gratitude, for the Christian, is not simply a joyous reaction to happy occasions. Watch any mother with her young child and you realize gratitude must be taught. When the toddler gets an ice cream cone Mother says, “Now what do you say?”

“Tank you.” (Eventually he’ll master the th-sound.)

Gratitude is a learned response; a good habit that, unlike bad habits, must be practiced consciously and deliberately. Bad habits are easy to pick up and hard to break. Good habits require discipline, vigilance and constant maintenance.

In today’s first reading we hear the story of Naaman’s healing. He had come a long way to seek healing from the famous holy man Elisha. But Elisha seemed to ignore the eminent general and his fabulous retinue, remaining within his grass hut and replying only with a desultory directive, “Go bathe in the Jordan river seven times.” Naaman felt insulted and started for home.

But his advisors urged him to give it a try “since we’ve come so far!” Naaman finally washed in the muddy Jordan and was healed! In gratitude he wanted to lavish gifts upon the Prophet, who despised his ostentatious display.

Undeterred, the General decided to thank Elisha’s God. He took some dirt home with him in order to stand upon sacred soil and praise the God of Israel. He realized that Israelite dirt, like its water, was sacred to God. (To this day, pilgrims bring home dirt, rocks, wood and water from the Holy Land.)

Without gratitude we lose our memory and without memory we lose our identity. I have suffered depression on several occasions in my life. Overwhelmed and exhausted by various circumstances I could only recall all the disappointments, hurts, abuse and misery I have endured. My complaints would break a heart of stone, or so I thought.

Fortunately, the Lord and his Church came to my rescue, giving me time, therapy and medication. Eventually I recalled the love that I have received, and the passionate love I feel for those who cared for me. Eventually, I remembered who I am.

To be faithful to who we are, the Favored of God, we must remember the blessings we have received and continually ask God for more.

He has placed us here in these United States to bring His blessings to our family and neighbors, friends and foes. Like the cleansed lepers – Naaman and the Samaritan – we must give glory to God or lose it all.