MANILA, Philippines – A priest, visiting a remote village chapel, delivered a 30-minute sermon on “Gratitude.” At the conclusion of the sermon, he said, “And remember, however small the gift, always be grateful to the Lord.”

Later, when it was time for the collection, an usher used the preacher’s hat to take up the offering.

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When the hat came back to him, the priest shook it carefully, but heard no sound. Then he turned it upside down. But nothing came out. It was EMPTY!

Seeing this, every eye in the congregation watched to see if the priest would practice what he had just preached. Whereupon, the clergyman raised his hands to heaven, still holding the empty hat, and said, “I thank Thee Lord that, at least, I got back my hat!”

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The theme of our readings for the 28th Sunday of the year is gratefulness. This virtue is exemplified by the grateful Naaman who was cured of his leprosy (2 Kgs 5:14) and the Samaritan leper (Lk 17:18) who were the recipients of God’s goodness.

Somebody rightly said, “Gratitude is memory of the heart.” Ingrates have no memories, no remembrances. In local parlance, “Walang utang na loob.”

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Is it any wonder that our Lord in the gospel got disappointed when, out of the 10 recipients of His good act, only one returned to say “thank you”? “There were 10 made clean; where are the other nine?” And this was even a Samaritan, a foreigner (Lk 17,18).

Are we grateful people? Just think of our prayers to God. Aren’t they almost all prayers of petition, “gimme, gimme Lord”?

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Prayers of petition are all right. I myself pray a lot of these! But do you also say prayers of thanks to God? Have you thanked God for what you already have, like the gifts of life, health, or some talent, which you take for granted as absolutely yours? Or the free gifts of Nature like the air, sunlight, water, plants?

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Are you grateful also for misfortunes and bad experiences like that priest in the opening story? You must have read about the beauty queen Rio Diaz Cojuangco’s bout with cancer of the colon. It was a constant battle for her to get healed but in the end, she died at age 45. But did you know that, in spite of it all, she was grateful for the sickness?

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Ms. Cojuangco said: “If I never had cancer, I wouldn’t have found this much love for others, or received just as much love from them.” In short, it was when she had the sickness, that she realized how numerous people loved her.

When was the last time you said “thank you” to the Lord? Like that Samaritan in the gospel episode, may we never forget to thank God not only for good things we receive but also bad things which are disguised blessings.

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TRIBAL FILIPINO SUNDAY. Tomorrow, Sunday prior to World Mission Sunday, is designated by the Church as “Tribal Filipinos Sunday.” The event focuses our attention on our oft-forgotten “second-class” countrymen.

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There are approximately 6.5 million indigenous Filipinos. Some of these are Itnegs, Ibanags, Baluga or Aetas, Manobos, B’laan, and others.

We would do well to regard them not only as genuine Filipinos with full constitutional rights but as children of God.

Remember: You did not choose where to be born. You could have been an indigenous Filipino. So, don’t look down on them.

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FAMILY TV MASS – is aired by the SVD Mission Communications Foundation, Inc. (MCFI) on IBC 13 at 9-10 a.m. every Sunday.

Sponsor: Sunhill Education System, Batangas City. Celebrant: Fr. Bendicto Malaluan.

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To offer Mass intentions, call Brian at Christ the King Seminary (cf. tel. directory) or e-mail: familytv.mass@yahoo.com.