The sun peeked through the morning fog just as Robert’s pickup came rattling down the road toward the end of our driveway. Sister Mary Claire and I were already waiting, and Mini was wagging so hard her whole body wobbled. Robert leaned over and opened the door, saying, “Hop in, church bells will be ringing soon.” The air was crisp and clean, and the fields looked golden in the early light.
At Mass, Father LeRoy read the Gospel about the ten lepers who asked Jesus to heal them. Father said that only one came back to say thank you, and that Jesus noticed. He told us that being thankful is one of the best ways to show our love for God. “Faith that forgets to thank,” Father said, “is only half alive.” He reminded us that every blessing we have—our home, our family, even the air we breathe—is a gift meant to turn our hearts toward gratitude. I thought of how often I forget to thank God for small things, like sunshine or Mini’s happy bark.
After supper, Sister Mary Claire and I listened to Bishop Robert Barron’s Sunday Sermon on my little transistor radio. His voice came through soft and steady, talking about how gratitude opens the door to grace. He said the thankful leper not only received healing but also friendship with Christ—and that thanksgiving always leads us closer to Him. Mini lay between us on the rug, her ears twitching now and then, while the fire popped in the stove. I felt calm and warm inside, thinking how wonderful it is that God listens even to little hearts like mine.
Love, Kathy
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