A Note From Our Pastor- Bulletin excerpt from Sunday, May 29th.
"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” - St. Ambrose
As we are quickly coming to the close of another school/programmatic year, it is hard to not look back and see all the good
that God has continued to do in our parish and school. There is just so much new life and excitement; there is every reason to give thanks to God for it.
Just a couple of weeks ago, at the beginning of this month, we were able to take time to honor our many volunteers with a
dinner, for all the work that they have done for our parish community. It was said, several times over, that this was something that the parish community had not done for many years. Grant it we have been dealing with the global COVID pandemic that has made it very difficult to gather, but I also think that outside of this, it is a perennial problem that we human beings have;
adequately giving thanks for what we have... quite simply... expressing gratitude.
Throughout the long tradition of our Christian faith, gratitude is a movement that is at its very core. As we are well aware, the
very word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word meaning “Thanksgiving”. At the source and summit of the Christian life is a
movement towards gratitude. Thus, the more that we anchor our hearts in it, the more authentically Christian we become.
Gratitude is meant to be something that takes intentionality. Sure it is easy to feel grateful when we are given a gift or get
something, but to develop an instinct of gratitude in everything is something that must be taught. Is it not true that in the raising of children, gratitude is an attribute of the human experience that requires education? How many times, in my young life, was I told by my parents, “Now Nate say thank you.” How embarrassing it was for me when after my senior graduation party I was asked by my mother, “Nathan have you written your thank you cards?” To which I responded, “No, why do I have to do that?”...
Needless to say it was a very important learning experience for me and a well deserved lecture from my Mom.
I think we can all get a little bit better in the art of honing in and recognizing the things in life that we may have taken for
granted, or not appropriately given thanks for. Just as a little examination of conscious surrounding this may help us to see how good or bad we are doing in regards to gratitude.
For example, when was the last time that we wrote a letter thanking someone who taught us a skill or perspective on life?
When was the last time that we paused after a meal and told the waiter/waitress WHY we were grateful for their service. When
was the last time that we said, “Please tell the chef/cook thank you as the meal was absolutely excellent”. When was the last time that we called someone out of the blue and simply said, “I was thinking about you and the role you have had in my life, and I am forever changed because of you. THANK YOU!”
These things are meant to flow forth from the Christian heart as something totally natural to a Christ centered life. When we
look at the sad and harsh world that we live in, I think we could all do a bit to help improve things around us by accessing the
powerful force of gratitude in our lives. In closing I just grabbed a couple of beautiful quotes from the lives of the saints and how they expressed the importance of gratitude to help us gain a greater appreciation for it, as well as inspiration from their words.
“Thank God ahead of time...” –Bl. Solanus Casey
“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.” – St. Gianna Beretta Molla
“Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” –St. John Paul II