💖 HOMILY - NOVEMBER 12 💖

First Reading - Wisdom 6:1-11

Gospel - Luke 17:11-19

Gratitude has a transforming power. It changes not only how we see the world but also how we live in it. Today’s readings lead us to reflect on the theme of gratitude as the mark of wisdom and faith — a gratitude that flows from recognizing everything as a gift from God and responding with a heart that gives back in love.

In the first reading, the Book of Wisdom speaks to rulers and those in authority, reminding them that their power and success are not self-made but entrusted to them by God. “Authority is given to you by the Lord,” says the text, calling them to rule with justice, humility, and reverence. True wisdom begins when we acknowledge that all we have — talents, opportunities, influence — is a gift. The ungrateful heart forgets this truth, leading to pride and self-reliance, but the grateful heart recognizes dependence on God and seeks to use every gift for the good of others. Gratitude, therefore, is not a feeling but a way of living wisely and responsibly before God.

In the Gospel, we meet ten lepers who cry out to Jesus for mercy. All are healed, yet only one — a Samaritan, a foreigner — returns to thank Him. Jesus’ question echoes through the ages: “Were not ten made clean? The other nine, where are they?” Gratitude is more than politeness; it is faith in action. The nine received healing but missed relationship; only the one who returned entered into the fullness of salvation. His thanksgiving became an encounter — not just with a miracle, but with the Healer Himself. Gratitude opens the door to deeper communion with God.

Dear friends, how often we too receive blessings — health, family, work, forgiveness — yet forget to pause and give thanks! Sometimes we take God’s gifts for granted until they are gone. Today’s Gospel calls us to live with hearts awake to grace. Every breath, every new day, every moment of mercy is a reason to thank Him. Gratitude turns ordinary moments into sacred ones and transforms hardship into hope because it reminds us that God is always at work for our good.

This means cultivating a daily attitude of thanksgiving — not only for what goes well, but also in times of struggle, trusting that God is present even there. A grateful person sees life differently: not as a burden to endure, but as a gift to receive and share. Gratitude deepens faith, strengthens relationships, and fills our lives with joy that no circumstance can take away.

Today, let us be like the one healed leper who turned back — who recognized grace and responded with love. Let our hearts overflow with thanksgiving, not only in words but in deeds. For when gratitude becomes our way of life, we begin to see everything — even trials — as opportunities to encounter God’s mercy anew. And in that encounter, we too will hear Jesus say, “Your faith has saved you.”