Fr. Simon's Letter - October 9, 2022

Every language in the world has a way of saying "thank you." This is because gratitude is an inherent quality that resides within each human being and is triggered and expressed spontaneously in various contexts. Gratitude crosses all boundaries—creed, age, vocation, gender, and nation—and is emphasized by all the great religious traditions.

Gratitude is a feeling that spontaneously emerges from within. However, it is not simply an emotional response. It is also a choice we make. We can choose to be grateful, or we can choose to be ungrateful and take our gifts and blessings for granted.  

This weekend we hear the familiar gospel of the ten lepers who were healed. Although ten were cleansed of their leprosy, only one chose to return to give thanks to God. St. Paul tells us we should give thanks in all circumstances and for all things. We thank him for our being, the created world we live in; for the food we eat and the air we breathe; for our family and friends, our occupation, our health, those we live with, our country, and its relative peace and prosperity. We thank him for special moments of grace, the inspiration of a good example, and the sources of encouragement, consolation, and joy that come our way.

And we are here now because we know that the best way to express our thanks to God for all his gifts is through participation in the Holy Eucharist. The Greek word Luke uses for the leper's thanksgiving in today's story is "eucharistein." Here is made present Christ's self-gift to the end: his body offered for us in sacrifice, and his blood poured out for us. Here Jesus gives us himself, not in part but wholly. He gives not, of course, craving our gratitude, but freely, simply, out of love. Yet we are the ones who will benefit if we receive him with open hearts and minds; if we notice what he has done for us and return due thanks. With that attitude of mind, we will truly live the Eucharist and receive the life, blessing, health, and holiness Jesus wants to give us.
 

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This past Sunday, Cardinal Cupich recognized and honored several laypersons in the Archdiocese of Chicago with the Christifidelis award. This award is bestowed upon individual Catholic laypersons who, through their participation in parish life, demonstrate their calling and commitment to responsibility for the church's life springing from the gift and mission of their baptism. 

Among those receiving the Christifidelis award this year is one of our parishioners, David Kennedy. Dave is a longtime parishioner, father of four children, each of whom attended QAS School and is actively involved in the QAS Choir and Men's Club. Also, for the past few years, Dave has been leading the efforts of our Share Christmas Program and the parish's St. Vincent de Paul Ministry. Dave’s actions, along with those of others, have extended the generosity of many of our parishioners to others both within and outside of the boundaries of our parish, bringing joy to families during the holidays and hope to many struggling to make ends meet. Following the message of todays gospel, please join me in expressing my gratitude by saying thanks to David for his contribution to the life and ministry of our parish.

Blessings!!