While journeying to Jerusalem, Jesus was approached by ten lepers who asked him to have pity on them. He responded to their request with healing but only one came back to thank him. How important is grati- tude in the life of a follower of Jesus? Why does thankfulness matter? Does it change our sense of per- spective and purpose as well as our understanding of God’s love? This story gives us a glimpse into ways we can have grateful hearts and live in such a way that each day is a gift to be received.

In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts re- ceived, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of grati- tude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a g!ift to be celebrated with joy. — Henri J M Nouwen