Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 2nd, 2018

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday, September 2nd, 2018

Call me "Old-Fashioned," . . .  Call me "Old School," . .  ..  but it drives me absolutely crazy when I encounter someone who does not have common courtesy enough to say:  "Please" . . . "Thank you" . . . . "Excuse me" . . . .  Now don't get me wrong.  There are plenty of people out there that still show courtesy but sometimes it seems that common courtesy is becoming a "sign of the past."  I suppose I can blame my parents for my "obsession" of being respectful.  I mean they are the ones who taught me the importance of showing common courtesy and having respect for people.    But just walk through a shopping mall or a store and see for yourself.  How many people will say "Excuse me" when they pass by in the aisle.  Or find out who will say "Thank you" when you hold a door for someone.  As I stated, my parents instilled in me early on the importance and value of being polite.  They taught me that it does not take money to have manners.  You can be a garbage collector or a CEO of a big corporation and still have good manners.   You can be young or old and still be polite.  You can be Black, Brown, Yellow, White or Polka-Dot and still be courteous to folks.  I hate to beat a dead horse but I just think it is a rather sad commentary on our society when having good manners seems to be a dying art.

If we look back to the Seventeenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the story of Our Blessed Saviour healing the ten lepers.   The premise of this passage is that ten lepers were healed but only one showed thanks.  "And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger." (St. Luke 17:17-18)  Even Our Lord was appalled by the other nine lepers lack of good manners.  He made a point that only one out of the ten lepers took the time to give thanks to God for being healed.  We hear:  "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan." (St. Luke 17:15-16)   How many times have we too failed to thank Our Heavenly Father for the many blessings He gives to us?  Do we go for a day without thanking God for the gifts He gives to us?  How about something as simple as thanking God before we eat?  I always make a point to say grace before I eat a meal.  I guess I can also blame that habit on my parents.   It is a good habit to get in to thank God for blessing us.  The ten lepers came running when they wanted to be healed.  They implored Our Lord when they desired a miracle.  And yet only one out of the ten made a point to thank God for giving him the miracle he asked for.  Let us not be like the nine ungrateful lepers.  Let us always make a point to thank God for all the blessings He bestows upon us.  Let us make a point to go to God in thanksgiving when we are grateful.  Sometimes we only go to God when we want something.  Let's go to God not only when we want something from Him.  Let's go to Him to thank Him . . . to praise Him . . .  to glorify Him.  God gave us the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive.  He offered us the gift of Salvation which was delivered upon the Cross by His Son.  Let us always be grateful and show our gratefulness for this gift.

St. Margaret Church meets each and every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.  We worship at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  We use the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Come join us as we listen to God speak to us through His Word.  At Communion time, we receive the Precious Body and Blood of Christ to nourish us and give us strength for our journey called life.