An Attitude of Gratitude

Every day we are surrounded by many gifts. By taking the time to celebrate these gifts we are able to feel gratitude for the people or circumstances that allow us to have what we do. Gratitude can come in many forms and just like the roots of a tree it can be deep and everlasting. By showing gratitude for those around us we acknowledge their efforts to make our life and the lives around them meaningful.

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GOD'S GREATNESS

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation."

I feel like I am hearing these words for the first time -- with a whole new challenge.  A person challenge:  does my soul rejoice in the greatness of the Lord?  Am I mindful of all that God has done for me?   How do I daily show the love and respect (fear of the Lord) for all the Lord has done?  These can be difficult times, the pace we maintain is quite fast, and it is easy to lose sight of the basics:

"He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.”

MARY'S TRUST

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said,  “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her,  “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,  “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply,  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born  will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;  for nothing will be impossible for God.” 
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”  Then the angel departed from her.
LUKE 1:26-38

I can't count the number of times I have read this...yet each time I see something new.   Perhaps it was because of Mary's youth that she could say 'yes' and trust in God's will.  A 'yes' that changed human history. Our challenge is to say 'yes' to God's will each day -- to live mindful that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God.  I can't help but wonder, how would the world be - if we lived this way.

ACTS OF CHARITY

"Of all the forms of charity and benevolence seen in the crowded wards of the hospitals, those of Catholic Sisters were among the most efficient. I never knew whence they came or what was the name of their order. More lovely than anything I have ever seen in art so long devoted to illustration of love, mercy, and charity are the pictures that remain of those modest Sisters going on their errands of mercy among the suffering and dying..."
Attributed to Lucius Chittenden in his book "Recollections of President Lincoln and His Administration" (1891)

What can be said of the way I conducted myself today or for that matter this entire Advent? 

COMPASSION

Recently, I was talking with a young man, contemplating entering the seminary.  As the conversation went on, I suggested a new book "Tattoos on the Heart" by Greg Boyle,sj.  After several moments he looked at me and reflected "The book sounds like it is about compassion.  I don't need that; I need to figure out if I have a vocation."  My heart sank, as did my opinion of him, I realize he is young and still has much to see and learn. But all I could think of was who doesn't need a lesson in compassion?  Jesus, our supreme example of a compassionate soul, has shown us the way to live.  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Mk 12:30)  The 20th century has had many wonderful examples of people like this, Pope John XXIII, Dorothy Day, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Cardinal Joseph Bernadine, Mother Teresa; the list can go on and on.  These men and women lived the message of Jesus "You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate." (NLT Luke 6:35)  I think one of the greatest challenges of our time is to truly be present to those right in front of us, to stand with them where they are and perhaps to truly see them for the first time.

LUKE 10:27

I thought for sure that I had misunderstood what I heard coming from the TV this morning, a Christian pastor, from Florida, was calling on his congregation to commemorate 9/11 by burning a copy of the Koran.  Then I heard it on the radio in my car on the way to work, still I am finding this hard to believe.  Here in the U.S., a country built on the notion of religious freedom, the head of a Christian Church wants his people to burn the holy book of another faith?  In Luke 10:27 we are called to love God with our whole heart and soul and our neighbor as yourself.  If we believe that we are all mad in the image and likeness of God why are we so quick to judge others?  Dr. Cornel West said "Justice is what love looks like in public."  What is needed today is a conversion of heart-we don't need to judge others, that clearly should be left to God.  Our conversion needs us to remember that everyone is God incarnate, and how we treat others is how we treat God in them.

MOTHER'S TAKE HEART -- ST. MONICA

Attention all mothers -- have you every thrown up your hands and looked at your child and thought "who is this alien and what have you done with my child?" Or perhaps, "where did we go wrong?"  If you have, then St. Monica is the one you should call on.  St. Monica son while quite good academically, liked to drink too much, party too long and is said to have fathered at least one child out of wedlock.  Monica prayed and prayed, and spoke to her priest,(St.Ambrose), he told her that he would talk to her son if he came to him.  Well after many discussions at home,you know the ones I mean, her son agreed. He went and listened to St. Ambrose preach---and much to every one's surprise, including himself, he turned is life around.  St. Ambrose would go on to baptize him, today we honor Monica's son, St. Augustine, as a Doctor of our Church.