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Dear Mount Community,
I had the chance to step away this past weekend which brought rest, relaxation, and perspective-taking. I appreciated the time and space because it can be hard to look beyond the mayhem sometimes. As we approach Thanksgiving, I realize that no matter what is going on around me, there is always so much for which to be thankful.
Gratitude awakens me to the gifts that I have received in life and helps me understand they aren’t guaranteed. Everyone is managing life events that take their time and attention.
Gratitude can put things in perspective and remind me that all is a gift. Tucked within the word gratitude is the word attitude which encourages me to have an attitude of gratitude regarding my own well-being. Saint Ignatius felt that gratitude was the basic response to God’s love for us. He once wrote, “Ingratitude is the most abominable of sins and that it should be detested in the sight of the Creator and Lord by all of His creatures … for it is a forgetting of the graces, benefits, and blessings received.”
When I take time to purposefully notice the good, I realize that there is an abundance of it. Every life is filled with good things and not-so-good things. So, we have a choice. Which things do I want to give my attention to? Being grateful moves me beyond my wants and helps me appreciate what I’ve already been given. I recognize that God gives me what I need.
Ultimately, gratitude moves me towards compassion, an ability to suffer with others in their unique situation. When gratitude accompanies compassion, I can imagine the other person’s situation and feel empowered to help them imagine mine. Compassion can help each of us to be a healing presence for one another.
The bottom line is that gratitude helps me remember that I am cared for by a loving God. It is an acknowledgment of the gifts that I am given each day and reminds me to keep my trust in God’s will for my life.
No matter where you find yourself these days in life, choose to see the ways that God cares for you and loves you. Have an attitude of gratitude. Treat others with compassion. Be a healing presence. Be humble enough to accept the compassion of others. Thank you for being a blessing to the Mount. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, be assured of a prayerful remembrance. May this day of celebration wrap you with gratitude for the many blessings that fill your life.
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