A Thankful Heart

Fr. Scott A. Haynes

Meditation on Thanksgiving After Holy Communion

 

Scripture Reflection: The Healing of the Ten Lepers

 

The Gospel of Luke presents us with a powerful and humbling story of gratitude, or rather, the lack thereof, in the account of the healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). As Jesus makes His way toward Jerusalem, He enters a village where He is met by ten lepers, who stand at a distance and cry out,

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13).

These men, isolated by their affliction, are fully aware of their dire situation and recognize in Jesus their only hope for healing.

 

Moved by their plea, Jesus instructs them to go and show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are cleansed of their leprosy. Yet, in a moment that speaks volumes about the human condition, only one of the ten, a Samaritan, returns to Jesus to give thanks. Falling at His feet, the Samaritan glorifies God and expresses his profound gratitude for the miracle he has received.

 

Jesus’ response is striking:

“Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18).

With these words, Jesus highlights the essential nature of thanksgiving. The healing of the ten lepers is not just a story about physical healing; it is a lesson about the necessity of a grateful heart, especially in response to the divine gifts we receive.

 

In this Gospel passage, the Samaritan leper serves as an example for all of us, especially as we reflect on the immense gift of the Holy Eucharist. Just as the Samaritan recognized the magnitude of what had been done for him and returned to give thanks, we too are called to respond with profound gratitude after receiving Holy Communion. The Eucharist is the greatest gift we can receive—Jesus Himself, truly present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. To fail to give thanks after receiving such a gift is to overlook the profound mystery of God’s love and mercy.

 

The Sacred Encounter: Receiving Holy Communion

 

In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the veil between heaven and earth is lifted, and we are drawn into the very heart of the Paschal Mystery—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we approach the Altar of God to receive Holy Communion, we are not merely partaking in a ritual or fulfilling a religious obligation; we are entering into the most intimate communion with Christ possible on this side of eternity.

 

Through the words of consecration spoken by the priest, ordinary bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ. This is a mystery that defies human understanding, a miracle that transcends time and space. In receiving Holy Communion, we receive Christ Himself—His Real Presence—into our very being. This moment is the culmination of the Mass, the point at which our participation in the divine mystery reaches its zenith.

 

Yet, how often do we allow this profound encounter with Christ to pass by without truly appreciating its significance? How easily do we become distracted, preoccupied with the cares of the world, or hurried in our departure from Mass? The Eucharist is a gift that demands our full attention, our deepest reverence, and our heartfelt thanksgiving. To receive Communion without taking the time to offer thanks is to miss an essential aspect of the sacrament’s transformative power.

The Necessity of Thanksgiving After Communion

 

Thanksgiving after Holy Communion is not merely a pious practice; it is an essential response to the grace we have received. When we take the time to thank God after receiving the Eucharist, we open our hearts to the fullness of the sacrament’s grace. Thanksgiving allows the Eucharist to bear fruit in our lives, to deepen our union with Christ, and to transform us into His likeness.

 

Consider again the story of the ten lepers. All ten were healed, but only one returned to give thanks. The other nine received the physical healing they sought, but they missed the deeper healing that comes from a heart filled with gratitude. The Samaritan, by returning to give thanks, not only experienced physical healing but also encountered the saving grace of Christ in a profound way. Jesus tells him,

“Rise and go; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19).

This “wellness” is not just physical; it is spiritual. It is the wholeness that comes from recognizing and responding to the mercy of God.

 

In a similar way, when we give thanks after receiving Holy Communion, we invite Christ to complete the work He has begun in us. We acknowledge our dependence on His grace, we recognize the gift we have received, and we express our desire to live in communion with Him. Thanksgiving after Communion is an act of love, an expression of our devotion to Christ, and a way of deepening our relationship with Him. Let no one leave Church without giving a thanksgiving to the God chosen to become our Spiritual Food in Holy Communion.  Those who leave the Holy Mysteries early—without some true necessity— who take Jesus and go as if He is a fast food item take as their patron the apostle Judas Iscariot also left the Last Supper without a thanksgiving. But he must not be our model.

 

The Rich Tradition of Thanksgiving Prayers

 

The Church, in her wisdom, has provided us with a rich treasury of prayers to help us enter into this time of thanksgiving. These prayers, composed by some of the greatest saints and doctors of the Church, guide us in expressing our gratitude and devotion to Christ. By praying these prayers after Communion, we join our hearts with the saints who have gone before us, and we allow their words to shape our own response to the Eucharist.

 

St. Bonaventure’s Prayer of Thanksgiving:

 

O sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, I implore Thee,

pierce the very marrow of my soul with the delightful,

health-giving dart of Thy love,

with true, tranquil, holy, apostolic charity,

so that my whole soul may ever languish and faint for love of Thee

and for desire of Thee alone.

 

May it long and pine for Thy courts;

may it ever desire to be dissolved and to be with Thee.

Grant that my soul may hunger for Thee,

Who art the bread of angels,

the comforting nourishment of all holy souls,

our daily and most delectable bread,

our supersubstantial bread,

in which is found every sweet delight.

May my heart ever hunger for Thee,

on whom the angels lovingly gaze;

may it feed on Thee;

and may the innermost depths of my being

be filled with the sweetness which comes from having tasted Thee.

 

May my soul ever thirst for Thee,

Who art the source of life,

the fount of wisdom and knowledge,

the brightness of everlasting light,

the flood of all true happiness,

the riches of the house of God.

 

May I at all times think of Thee;

may I ever seek Thee and ever find Thee;

may I always follow thee and reach Thee;

may Thy holy name be in my heart and on my lips;

and to Thy praise and glory may every work of mine be done.

Humble and discreet, loving and happy,

ever ready and cheerful in Thy service,

may I persevere, by Thy grace, even unto the end.

 

Be Thou alone and evermore my hope;

be Thou all my trust;

be Thou my wealth,

my delight, my joy, my consolation,

my rest, my endless peace.

 

Be Thou to me as a goodly taste,

as a pleasant perfume,

as a soothing sweetness.

Be Thou my food and my refreshment;

my refuge and my help;

my wisdom; my portion,

mine own possession and my treasure.

In Thee, O Lord, may my mind and my heart

remain fixed and firm,

and rooted immovably for evermore.

Amen.

 

St. Bonaventure’s prayer is a beautiful expression of the soul’s longing for union with Christ. After receiving Communion, we ask the Lord to “pierce” our souls with His love, to fill us with a longing to be with Him forever. This prayer reflects the desire for the Eucharist to inflame our hearts with divine love, a love that consumes us and draws us ever closer to Christ. In our thanksgiving, we seek to be united with Him in love and to carry that love into the world.

 

Living a Eucharistic Life: Gratitude Beyond the Mass

 

While it is essential to offer thanksgiving immediately after receiving Holy Communion, this attitude of gratitude should extend beyond the moments we spend in church after the worthy reception of Holy Communion and after Holy Mass. The Eucharist is meant to transform our entire lives, to shape us into people who live in constant communion with Christ. This transformation begins with thanksgiving but should extend to every aspect of our lives.

 

Living a Eucharistic life means carrying the presence of Christ with us into the world. It means allowing the grace of the Eucharist to influence our thoughts, words, and actions. When we give thanks after Communion, we are reminded that we have received Christ into our hearts, and we are called to live in a way that reflects His presence within us.

 

Gratitude is the foundation of a Eucharistic life. When we cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving, we become more aware of God’s presence in our lives, and we are more attuned to His will. We begin to see the world through the lens of grace, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God. This awareness leads us to respond to God’s gifts with generosity, love, and service to others.

 

Conclusion: The Transformative Power of Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving after Holy Communion is not just a momentary act; it is a practice that has the power to transform our lives. When we take the time to thank God for the gift of the Eucharist, we open ourselves to the fullness of His grace. We allow the Eucharist to take root in our hearts, to shape us into the people God has called us to be, and to draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.

  

Let us, therefore, resolve to make thanksgiving after Holy Communion an integral part of our spiritual lives. Just as the Samaritan leper returned to give thanks and was made whole, we too can experience the fullness of Christ’s healing and transforming power when we offer our heartfelt gratitude after receiving Him in the Eucharist.

 

In these precious moments after Communion, let us not rush away but remain with Jesus, offering Him our love, adoration, and thanksgiving. Let us use the prayers of the saints, who guide us in expressing our gratitude, and allow their words to deepen our devotion. Through this practice of thanksgiving, may we grow in holiness, become more fully united with Christ, and be strengthened to carry His presence into the world.

 

As we continue to live out our faith, may our thanksgiving after Holy Communion inspire us to live Eucharistic lives—lives marked by gratitude, love, and a constant awareness of God’s presence. In this way, the grace of the Eucharist will bear fruit in us, transforming us into true disciples of Christ, ready to serve Him in all that we do. Amen.