7 minute read
A Reflection on Gratitude
By: Kim Long, Saint Mary of the Pines DRE
GRATITUDE, a predictable theme in November, is found everywhere from women’s magazines to cookbooks to sale circulars as well as the Thanksgiving dinner table. I wanted to examine the concept in a different way. Here is my take on gratitude in the year 2020, which in many respects could be called annus horillibus, or horrible year in Latin, but even in our sadness and bewilderment, we find evidence of the opposing view annus mirabilis, wonderful year, a time where no miracle is small, no answered prayer ordinary, and no blessing left uncounted. We have lived to see another November, to state our thanks and gratitude for the good things we have experienced. And if we need a reminder we can turn to the prophet Jeremiah as he states the following: “For I know well the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.” With that in mind, I offer the following reflections.
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Grace
This word has endured attachment and redefinition as too many words have. When I hear this word I think of God and all that he has given to me. I think of those moments which seem to be, indescribable yet palpable, elusive yet a fundamental building block of the believer. Grace perhaps goes beyond the written word and is realized in the experience of opening oneself to the mystery of God and feeling and in that feeling being changed.
Receiving
This may sound simple, almost a no-brainer however it takes a willingness to be open and that is not something many of us are prepared to do. We are not prepared because we are wicked or bad or stupid rather we fear being open and vulnerable. Believe me, I understand. Who among us desires to lay ourselves open wide to what the world may send? But if we look at the crucifix can we come to another conclusion, find ourselves in the realm of trust. We can only receive with open hearts and hands. Think about it...
Acceptance
This word and I have a troublesome history. For many years I felt it was a grudging admission that I had failed and was resigned to that which I had fought hard against. Today I can see beyond that narrow tunnel vision and begin to understand that it can also mean, as the dictionary clarifies, to accept something that is offered. Not only a relief but it also enables me to see what is ahead, what is possible.
Time
Take the time to be present to all around you, and especially to what God holds for each of us not only daily but also moment by moment. Time is a precious gift that has been molded into a currency, with our society frequently employing the phrase “buying time.” Do not be swept up in the sin of busy-ness thinking to make a plan for every second of life, rather revel in the glory of each day as it passes. Learn to appreciate and avail ourselves of the opportunities we are granted daily to build up the body of believers.
Intention
The dictionary offers this explanation, an aim or purpose - something that is intended. For believers what is the intention but the choice to set our hearts, minds, and lives upon God and all that He holds for us? Sounds simple but in the case of many simple things that does not mean it is easy. In the course of my day, I begin with a thought in mind and most days it is swayed by the attitude and actions of those around me rather than by the One who created us all, so like Peter I take my eyes from God. Let us learn to focus our intentions on the One who made all things...God. In doing so our paths may seem less obscured.
Total
There is a prayer I have come to love credited to St. Ignatius of Loyola. I have not memorized it yet. It rests in my missal and after communion and sometimes before Mass begins I reach for it and pray to mean each word for I believe that is true of nearly every single prayer with which I have ever engaged. In this prayer, I ask God to take all my memory, my understanding, and my will acknowledging that I would have nothing if not for Him and that He alone is sufficient for me. Many times I cling to those words wanting on some level to give myself to God alone, other times I embrace the totality of grace as seen in my children and grandchildren, in the comfort of a home, in the love of my parish family, in the assurance of God’s love, and the knowledge that I have been crafted by and am loved by God.
Ultimate
This is a word that points us to the end of a goal, towards realizing something. I doubt if I “get there” in this life but it is nonetheless a worthy endeavor. To realize the fullness of my life as given to me by God, to realize the love of God as given to me by Jesus, to realize that I was created for a purpose and if I become who God created me to be I will set the world on fire, as St. Catherine of Sienna said, a worthy endeavor indeed. Perhaps we will not have to wait to the end of our lives to be able to sing along with the Psalmist as he proclaims.
Doing
In the book of James we are told that we should be people of action as well as belief. James tells us to “put our money where our mouth is” in other words. He was correct. Talk is cheap. THere is so much that needs to be done in our world, in our towns and cities, in our churches, and in our families and hearts. Where to begin is a question that often immobilizes me; I am far better off with a deep breath and action. Just as busy-ness can be a sin so can too much hesitation. As a believer I am instructed to be both a hearer of the word and a doer too. Sometimes this can be lived out in a simple greeting, a meal delivered to a grieving family, taking coats and blankets to a shelter, and praying for people, both those we know as well as those we will likely never meet.
Everlasting
This word is defined as something lasting forever, something lasting a long time. So it is with gratitude as it becomes a prayer and a way of being with neighbor, stranger, self, and God.Gratitude can become a verb if we allow God to work in us. Often, the world tells us that to be grateful or to acknowledge gratitude is a bit of a subservient way of thinking; a dependent on someone or something since we seem to be unable to procure it for ourselves. What the world doesn't tell us that when we are in tandem with God and all that he has for us we are engaging in and with divine and transforming love.
