Fr. Michael Williams

In times of crisis people will often turn to God in prayer, which reminds me of a story I recently heard about an atheist fishing on Loch Ness. The boat he was in suddenly capsized and the man was thrown into the air, when suddenly this huge monster appeared out of the water, with its mouth open, ready to receive the man into its huge jaws. Just then the atheist cried out, ‘God, help me’! Then time stood still and a loud booming voice came from the heavens, ‘I thought you didn’t believe in me’. The atheist replied, ‘Give me a break Lord! I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness monster two minutes ago either’.

St Luke in his gospel is keen to stress the need we each have in calling out to the Lord in our need. The ten lepers today were not only suffering from a virulent skin disease, but as a result of their condition, they were outcasts from society. They couldn’t be in a more desperate plight. So with deep faith in the Lord’s power to save they cry out, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us’.

The Lord allows us to petition Him, so as ‘deepen our sense of dependence on God’ (O’Flynn). Petition is a way of acknowledging our need of God. In a sense God inspired the lepers to call out to Him in their poverty and pain; likewise He inspires us to call out to Him in our poverty and pain.

All ten lepers in Luke’s gospel, petition the Lord in their need, but only one offers thanksgiving once the Lord has responded to their petition! It’s a gentle reminder to each one of us that we should always make thanksgiving part of our daily prayer life, not just petitioning. Thanksgiving is a way of acknowledging what God has done for us. Each day we can make simple aspirations to the Lord in thanksgiving. We can thank Him for a new day, for family and friends, for the many good things that He gives us.

Thanksgiving means that we don’t take God and His blessings for granted. Many people today think that everything they have is a result of their own efforts. Yet, everything we have, every breath we take, is a gift from God and should be looked upon as such.

October is the month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. Mary was a woman who always acknowledged God with thanksgiving: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. Our Lady knew everything came from God, and she praises Him for it. Let’s follow her example, and the example of the leper, who offer thanksgiving to God for the wonders He does.