November makes us think of Thanksgiving. I speak and write often about gratitude, knowing it to be an intuitive response to the wonder and miracle of life and a foundation of Christian discipleship.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and the Psalms proclaim the wonders of what God has done for the Chosen People.

In the New Testament, the sick, the poor, the hungry, and the dead experience the power and mercy of Christ, erupting in praise and worship of the Lord for the healing and grace they experienced in Him.

Again and again in his epistles, St. Paul urges his communities to give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus, His death and Resurrection, the blessings of the Church and the sacraments, and for the salvation and grace which flow from a stance of faith in Christ.

This grateful response to all that the Lord lavishes upon us is consummated in the Eucharist, the Greek word that means “thanksgiving”.    

In the Mass, the Church gives daily praise and thanks to the Father in the Holy Spirit for the gracious and saving work of the Son.

The power of a grateful heart

Sadly, we live in an age of entitlement and complaint. Many people feel they are owed more money, attention, popularity, or approval than they receive.

Many people are more apt to write a letter of complaint or offer a harsh comment rather than praising the good and celebrating what is right.  

Entitlement is never satisfied because it always craves more. Gratitude gladly takes the lowest place because it realizes the enormity that has already been given.

Words of praise, encouragement, and thanks can go a long way for many people who seldom hear positivity from those around them.

Gratitude saves us from jealousy, stinginess, greed, complacency, and anger. It frees us for joy, generosity, compassion, and contentment.

When I begin to think about the gifts for which I am profoundly grateful, I feel overwhelmed by the sheer goodness of God!

I am grateful for interesting books, stalwart trees, distant stars, Italian food, Renaissance art, and radiant sunsets.

I thank the Lord for the ability to see, hear, move, and speak; my parents, family, and friends; the people who have loved and taught me; and the gift of memory.

I praise God for my Catholic Faith, the sacraments, my share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, and the privilege to preach, serve, and love in His Name.

I thank God for the thousands of times He has let me celebrate Mass; hear Confessions; give retreats; preside at Baptisms, funerals, and weddings; ordain priests and deacons; and share the fruits of the Catholic priesthood with people in the most profound, joyful, sorrowful, and poignant moments of their lives.

Ultimately, I praise God for the salvation and forgiveness offered through Jesus and mediated through the Church.

This amazing, beautiful, painful, puzzling, and joyful life God has given us will carry forward into eternity where the Lord will purify us of all sin and death and then welcome us into the perpetual wedding feast of Heaven.

Joy in God’s daily gifts

When I ponder these wondrous miracles and unexpected gifts, I am overwhelmed by the love and goodness of God, who shares His life by creating us and then fills our tiny existence with His own exalted presence.

We should begin every day on our knees, magnifying the Lord with the Blessed Virgin Mary and shouting our praise to the Father.

Gratitude is far too expansive an experience to be limited to the fourth Thursday of November.

As Christians, we daily rejoice in the divine gifts we have received with love and thanksgiving.  

This joy, which bubbles up from a grateful heart, makes all the difference!