ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE WEAK
One late night, I was driving back to the seminary. During one traffic stop, a little girl approached me, trying to sell me her last strand of sampaguita. I signaled that I didn’t want it but I rolled down the car window and handed her several packs of biscuits (she looked hungry) which I always carry with me for situations like that. She accepted it, and gave me the sweetest smile and said, “Kunin n’yo na rin po itong sampaguita, thank you ko na lang po para sa biscuits.” I obliged and took the sampaguita and drove away, with my eyes a little moist.
I felt good that I had done a good thing. But I think I felt better that I had allowed the little girl to make an act of gratitude in return for the biscuits I had given her. I saw it in her smile. She felt good being grateful. I received something from her and that made me feel good, too. At that moment, she was not only a recipient; she became a giver, too.
When we do an act of charity, we are told even in the Bible not to expect something in return. Even so, I don’t think it subtracts from our charity when we accept a genuine act of gratitude. In the Gospel, Jesus even loudly wonders why only one of the 10 healed lepers came back to give thanks. He asks why the other nine were nowhere to be found. This indicates that God does not need our gratitude, yes, but He sure appreciates it.
Allowing others to thank us can also be a virtue. When we give, there is still a danger of feeling as being the “superior” one, the “stronger” one. To accept thanks can also be a form of humility, of vulnerability, and of gratitude. Fr. Joel O. Jason
REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you allowed yourself to be weak, by accepting a genuine word or act of gratitude from someone you have helped?
God, You have no need of our praise and yet You still delight in the little acts of worship we can give You. Thank You for allowing us to say “thank You”! Amen.
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