Twenty-eighth Ordinary

Luke 17: 17 – 19

Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”

As educators in Catholic schools, we know how quickly the busyness of the day can take over. Lessons need to be prepared, assessments marked, students guided and cared for, parents contacted, and colleagues supported. In the middle of all this, Luke’s Gospel offers us a gentle but powerful reminder: gratitude is more than good manners – it is a response that changes us. Out of ten people healed by Jesus, only one returned to give thanks, and it was this response of gratitude that brought him not just healing, but wholeness. His gratitude became faith in action, and Jesus affirms him with words that show gratitude opens the way to something deeper.

In our classrooms and schools, we have countless opportunities to model and nurture this same spirit. Gratitude isn’t about ignoring challenges or pretending everything is easy – it’s about noticing the goodness that is present, however small, and recognising it as gift. A simple thank you to a colleague, an acknowledgment of a student’s work, or even pausing in prayer to give thanks for the day can turn ordinary moments into something sacred. When we encourage our students to name what they’re grateful for, we help them see beyond themselves and recognise God’s hand in their lives. In doing so, we teach them that gratitude is not just a feeling but a way of living, one that leads to faith and joy.

So the invitation for us, as educators, is clear: will we be like the nine who hurried on, or like the one who returned with gratitude? This week, let’s take up the challenge to practise gratitude in a conscious way. Thank your students for the little things. Thank your colleagues for their support. Thank God for the chance to shape your hearts and minds. In choosing gratitude, we not only transform our own perspective, but we also model for our students that true wellness and faith are found when we recognise and give thanks for the gifts hat surround us every day.