Ever since we were young, we were taught to say “thank you” when someone has done something nice for us. Our parents wanted to teach us to recognize that the giver has gone beyond our expectations. A couple of years ago, my mom, sister, and I took a trip to Lourdes, France to visit where in 1858 Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette and gave miraculous water as a sign for people to believe. At the time of her apparition, the grotto was simply city's garbage dump. 150 years later and after 200 million pilgrims, the place has been transformed brick by brick and candle by candle into a glorious and beautiful shrine dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady all because of the thanksgiving of all those people.
Here at St. Louis King of France, we have someone who have been giving even greater gift than the miraculous water of Lourdes. 41 years ago, Our Lord established his church here on 2121 N. Sherwood Forest so that He can feed us with his very own body and blood in the Eucharist. Ever since then, Our Lord has faithfully placed his priests here so that we can be continually fed and not go hungry. In thanksgiving for this gift, countless numbers, including all those present here have rolled up our sleeves, gave our time and talent to build this parish up to where it is today. Isn’t it amazing that few decades ago, this place was just a field, and now it is a vibrant parish serving the needs of this local community.
When I arrived here three months ago as a new intern, I noticed that the surrounding neighborhood was the not the safest around. But you know Our Lord does nothing by accident or coincidence. There is a reason why Our Lord established his church here, even though He knew ahead of time that St. Alphonsus and St. Thomas Moore will only be five minutes away from this church. He knew ahead of time that the area immediately surrounding the church will not be safe. There is a mission for this parish that Our Lord wants to accomplish. And He is calling all of us as disciples to collaborate with Him to make this parish a beacon of light and hope. Our Lord said, “Where sin abounds, his grace will abound even more.” He provides the grace to do it, and we supply thanksgiving, worship, our time, and our talent. With God nothing is impossible.
Just take a look at what happened at St. Peter Claver Parish in New Orleans area. The parish was located in declining surroundings—poverty, drugs and violence. Our Lord placed himself there to feed his people with his body and blood knowing that they will need all the grace to transform that darkness into a place of life. The people responded by thanksgiving, worship, and with their time and talent. That parish has gave back life into that community. No longer people feared drugs and violence near that parish. This happened because people have responded to Our Lord’s generous gift of himself with their thanksgiving.
In Lourdes, France Our Lord has made millions of gallons of miraculous water flow uninterrupted for the past 150 years. Likewise this parish will continue to flourish because Our Lord will continue to give river of miraculous grace through the gift of himself in the Eucharist. He only asks that we return to Him week after week to give him thanks and worship for that gift. We read in today’s Gospel that out of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, only one returned to give thanks. Not all who have received grace from this parish will return and give thanks. But look at what is possible with just one person returning and giving thanks to this parish. How much greater this parish will be when one more person will return and give thanks with their time and talent. I encourage all of us here to ask Our Lord today, ‘Lord, how do you want the mission of this parish to be accomplished through my time and talent.’
