Reflect on gratitude and generosity in daily life through the Gospel of the lepers and the example of St. Martin of Tours. Embrace thanksgiving and giving.
Today's Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
Ten lepers cry out to Jesus for healing, but only one returns to give thanks. I am always stunned by this behavior, and yet a little introspection reveals that I, too, can be like the nine lepers who took their healing for granted. Gratitude is the heart of discipleship.
As parents or grandparents, we know how often our daily sacrifices go unnoticed: the meals cooked, the laundry folded, the long list of little details that consume so much of our mental energy. We know how we feel when our efforts not only go unnoticed, but are taken for granted. How often do we take our blessings for granted? In those moments, Christ invites us to be like the grateful leper, choosing to see and name the blessings in front of us.
Today is also the feast of St. Martin of Tours, who shared his cloak with a beggar. His act of generosity reminds us that gratitude overflows into giving. Families who live with grateful hearts become families who bless others.
Ponder:
Do I pause to thank God, and others, for the small, daily gifts?
Pray:
Lord, give us hearts of gratitude like the healed leper and hands of generosity like St. Martin.
Pray Together:
Every act of charity is a fulfillment of a prayer. As a family, gather a care package to drop off at a food pantry. Pray together in thanksgiving for having the resources to share with those in need.

Copyright 2026 Maria Morera Johnson
About the Author
Maria Morera Johnson
Maria Morera Johnson, author of My Badass Book of Saints, Super Girls and Halo, and Our Lady of Charity: How a Cuban Devotion to Mary Helped Me Grow in Faith and Love writes about all the things that she loves. A cradle Catholic, she struggles with living in the world but not being of it, and blogs about those successes and failures, too.

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