For what shall we give thanks?

Across our country this weekend, people are gathering to celebrate and to give thanks for the harvest, and to spend time with family and friends.  It is fitting then that the reading from the second book of Kings relates the details of Naaman, a Syrian court official, a man of significant importance who was cured of leprosy after having immersed himself seven times in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:14), and it is equally fitting that the gospel which we have just heard speaks of an encounter Jesus had with lepers.  In particular, this passage focuses on a Samaritan - a foreigner - who came back to Jesus once he had discovered the fact that he had been healed, simply so that he could express his gratitude (cf Lk 17:15-16).

Like Naaman and like the Samaritan leper, we too have reasons to be thankful today.  Like them, perhaps we are not in the habit of being aware of all the good things that we have received, yet this weekend provides us with a wonderful opportunity to set aside some time to say thank you.  We can begin by expressing gratitude to those who are currently accompanying us as we make our way along the path of life.  We can think with gratitude about those who have shared parts of their own lives with us, those who have motivated us and who continue to inspire us, and we can be thankful for those who now look to us for guidance, since they allow us to pass on the gifts that we ourselves once received.

During the Extra-ordinary Missionary Month, we can also look back at some of the saints who have been examples of commitment to spreading the faith and we give thanks for their heroic efforts.  There are many who came to Canada from Europe, who joyfully spent their lives teaching others about Jesus and helping others to grow in faith.  Among them was an Ursuline nun who was known by the religious name Marie of the Incarnation.  Born in Tours (France), Marie Guyart was the fourth of eight children.  Her father was a wealthy silk merchant.  In fact, she herself was married to a silk merchant before she entered religious life.  After her husband had died, she entered the Ursulines in 1631, at the age of 32 years.  From a very early age, she had a desire to be a missionary, but this desire was not fulfilled until 4 May 1639 when she set sail from Dieppe (France) and ended up in Quebec.  There, she lived for the rest of her life along with other Ursuline sisters, educating young girls.  The Ursuline Sisters are still present in Canada today.

Saint Paul encourages us today to remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David (2 Tim 2:8).  Jesus Christ is the good news, the gospel that has been preached by Saint Marie de l'Incarnation and by all those who continue even today to share the joy of the gospel with others today.  Many who have gone before us, and many who are living in our day have known the pain of suffering hardships, even to the point of being chained like criminals (2 Tim 2:9) yet they endure joyfully so that the word of God can be shared.

Today, let us give thanks for all that we have received, including the gift of our faith.  Let us remember the heroic efforts put forward by our ancestors in faith, including Saint Marie de l'Incarnation, and let us ask them to pray with us so that our efforts to share the joy of the gospel may also continue to bear much fruit.