These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, November 10

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” (Lk 17:11-19)

How important it is to give thanks. All ten were healed . . . but only one was saved, the one who returned to give thanks. One of the oldest parts of the Mass is the dialogue: Lift up your hearts/Let us give thanks. Saint Leo was shepherd of the church of Rome almost 1,600 years ago . . . but we still remember him. In his famous homily for Christmas Day, he said, “Christian, remember your dignity.”  Today’s full readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111021.cfm. Today's picture is of Saint Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, NC, where I was ordained.