Msgr. Vincent Gartland, in his homily in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the inaugural meeting of the New Jersey Chapter of the Laudato Si Movement, spoke of the blessing that flow from the gift of gratitude.
“Both our first reading from the Book of Kings and our gospel from Luke speak of the great gift of gratitude.
“Naaman is so grateful for his cure of leprosy that he takes two mule loads of earth from Israel back with him to his home so that he can stand on that earth and worship the God of Israel, the cured leper in Luke returns glorifying God in a loud voice and falls at the feet of Jesus to thank him.
“Gratitude makes all the difference. Gratitude opens the door to deeper faith, to relationships, and to joy.
“Now imagine how blessed our life would be (what our world might look like) if we lived with that same gratitude every day— not only for personal blessings, but for creation itself. Every sunrise, every drop of rain, every breath of air is a gift from our Creator. The leaves that spend their days cleaning the air that we breathe, the earth that provides nourishment and stability to the trees and plants, that produce the Jersey corn, tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, the abundance that we enjoy during this harvest season. Yet, we often take these gifts for granted. We live as if the earth were ours to use and discard, rather than a sacred trust to cherish and protect.
“Pope Francis, in Laudato Si’, reminds us that the ecological crisis is at its root a spiritual crisis — a loss of gratitude and wonder before God’s creation. When we forget that the world is a gift, we begin to exploit it. We pollute the air, waste resources, and damage ecosystems, not out of malice, but out of forgetfulness — forgetting to give thanks.
Homily 28th Sunday Ordinary Time C, October 12, 2025 Francis House of Prayer – Msgr. Vincent Gartland
