January Prayer Reflection 2018
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January Prayer Reflection 2018
Gratitude
Catherine McAuley said “As the most acceptable return a benefactor can receive from those on whom He bestows favours is a countenance testifying gratitude of the heart, how acceptable must it be to God when we make Him this return, showing to all by our happy, cheerful countenance the gratitude with which our hearts overflow towards Him for His many favours in this life, and His many blessings for the one to come.”

A spirit of gratitude is one of the most wonderful ways to develop our spiritual life, because it accepts the fact that everything is a gift from God. Many things in our life, no matter how small and insignificant, are occasions for gratitude. How often do we take for granted the blessings we enjoy in life – family, friends, home, health, our gifts, talents and charisms?

We can become so taken up in petty worries and concerns that we fail to see the miracles around us, the message God sends us. We can think of many times when God has provided for us in different situations. Often when disappointments and challenges come our way, we can look upon them as blessings and discover what we can learn from them.

None of us likes to be taken for granted. We feel affirmed and appreciated when we receive that “thank you”. So let us pause to enjoy the good things that are happening around us. The Eucharist means praise and thanksgiving so gratitude is central to our celebration of the Eucharist.

At the beginning of the New Year perhaps we could remind ourselves of the words of Pope Francis, “To look at the past with gratitude, to live in the present with enthusiasm, to embrace the future with hope”.

Sr. Marcella Logue