Re: Verse reading–Psalm 103, Luke 17:11-19 (day three)
“He remembers that we are dust.” A person who does not express gratitude, who understands no need for thanksgiving, is a person who forgets that he is dependent. He is dependent on the mercy of others in order to live his daily life. And finally, he is dependent on God, who has made him. We chafe against this dependence. We consider it beneath us. But this life will end because we are indeed dust. How will we not be taken by surprise at this inevitable fate? By practicing thanksgiving. Gratitude will form us into people who will meet the end of these days with joy for the days that await us beyond. Thankfulness, therefore, is not just polite. It is life-giving.
