It is a spirit of gratitude that permeates David’s prayer (as recorded in our first reading). This serves to remind us that true gratitude is only possible with true humility. This is because pride strives to perpetuate the illusion and delusion of human self-sufficiency. Authentic gratitude, however, peacefully acknowledges our utter dependence on God, and even on one another—an acknowledgment only possible in one who is truly humble. Yesterday, we heard God (through the Prophet Nathan) remind David of his very humble origins as a shepherd and the least of the sons of Jesse. This was in response to David’s somewhat prideful insistence on building a worthy house for God—thereby suggesting that God was partly reliant on David. With this subtle tendency towards pride corrected, David (in today’s reading) spontaneously and gratefully details all God’s blessings to him. This should serve as a warning that whereas ingratitude is surely a sin against God, it is not as serious as the pride that may be lurking under the surface of our being ungrateful.