In Caroline Jones' book, "An Authentic Life" she explored how to find meaning and spirituality in daily life. One of the themes on which her life was based was becoming a person of thanksgiving. This motivated not only her attitude toward life but also how she sought to interact with people. People may remember her interviews on the radio or the ABC series, Australian Story. It was this journalistic style that sought to explore the reality that everyone had a story to tell. By connecting deeply with a person's story we seek to know them as a person.
We sense a similar reality in the Gospel reading about the ten lepers who were cured but only one returned to give praise to God and thank Jesus. The man was a Samaritan. In the midst of the story that is recounted to us, we notice that the miracle is not that the leprosy is cured but rather that one person's heart is transformed. This is the reality of our faith response we don't want it just to go skin deep but rather draw us deeper into living a life of thanks and praise.
In discovering that God enters into our daily story Jesus invites us to notice how we are called to sing a new song. This song seeks to proclaim an understanding of God's initiative which speaks truth and love to the heart of our nation. In an age where we can encounter a culture of entitlement, we can reflect on what actually brings life and meaning to our own hearts. This allows us to notice what brings meaning and spirituality into our daily life. We no longer hold God at arm's length but rather notice what wells up within us with praise and thanksgiving. Our lives are not empty and meaningless but rather are founded on God's salvific action for our good and the good of all creation.
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