There’s an interesting little story
About a man who was lost in the desert
And he’s dying of thirst.
And he stumbles upon a small shack
Where he found a water pump with a small jar of water
That was sitting next to it.
And there was a note that read,
“use this water to prime the pump,
And when you’re done,
Refill the jar for the next traveler.”
Now the man was faced with a choice.
Drink the water now and satisfy his thirst
Or take a leap of faith, use it to prime the pump
And potentially get unlimited water.
After a moment of hesitation,
He poured the water into the pump,
Started pumping furiously,
And soon fresh, cool water gushed out.
He drank the water till his heart was content.
And then he refilled his canteen and before leaving,
He filled the jar with water for the next traveler.
And that’s when he saw at the bottom of the note
That he first read that someone had written in small print,
“trust me, it works.”
This little story ties in, I think,
Beautifully with today’s gospel, where Jesus heals ten lepers
But only one- the Samaritan
Comes back to give thanks.
All ten were healed, but only one comes back,
Recognizing that the source of his healing
Was not just the miracle, but Jesus himself.
His gratitude was an act of faith.
Just like the man in the story
Who trusted the note and primed the pump.
So often in life, we cry out to god in desperation,
Just as the lepers did.
“Jesus, master, have mercy on us.”
And god and god’s goodness
In god’s own unique ways blesses us.
But how do we return to give thanks?
Gratitude is more than good manners.
It’s a sign of faith, a recognition
That everything we have is a gift from god.
The other nine lepers receive physical healing,
But the one who returned received something greater.
He received the gift of salvation.
Jesus tells him, “Your faith has saved you.”
This is the power of Thanksgiving.
It not only acknowledges what we have received,
But it opens us up for greater blessing.
So today, let’s ask ourselves, are we like the nine
Enjoying god’s gifts without acknowledging the giver?
Or we are like the one returning in faith with gratitude?
Friends, I think the fact that we are praying
This mass together over the airways
From wherever you are reminds us that we are people
That not only receive, but also return to give thanks.
The good news today reminds us it is in our gratitude
That we find true healing.
It’s in our gratitude that we find true healing.