Gratitude

"Oh! How the very greatness of His favors condemns those who are ungrateful."
-- St. Teresa of Jesus

"Ingratitude is the enemy of the soul, the destroyer of merit and virtue, causing the loss of favors. It is a burning wind which dries up the fountain of piety, the dew of mercy, the torrents of grace."
-- St. Bernard of Clairvaux

"Every gift of God, whether great of small, should be gratefully acknowledged; not even the least grace should be forgotten."
-- St. Bernard of Clairvaux

"We do not realize what is good until it is gone, and the loss we suffer is due to our insufficient thanks to the one who made the good things possible. Thus, our benefactors must wait until we lose their favors before they are repaid, for only the loss of good motivates us to recognize the past benefit and act to give thanks. It is undoubtedly very bad that lack of something rather than the thing itself impels us to action and that in our desire to possess we forget who made us possessors."
-- Franciso de Osuna (in this morning's Magnificat meditation)

"And where are the other nine? Is there no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger?"
-- Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 17:17-18)