When Elisha refused Naaman’s gift with the words, “As the Lord lives whom I serve, I will not take it,” he was not only being polite. He was also showing humility by not taking credit for something God did, not him.

My new best friend in commentary Martin Lang (author of Luke: My Spirit Rejoices!) calls supplication half the circle described by faith. The other half, he posits, is gratitude.

It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, 10 men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

A group of foreigners washed up on the shore. Sick, starving immigrants. Religious refugees fleeing persecution. The people who already lived there, who had lived there for a very long time, could have easily sent them back, ignored them, and let them suffer, or even killed them. But they didn’t do any of that.

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.