GIVING THANKS -

 “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."  Meister Eckhart said that quote.  Born in the middle of the 13^th century in present-day Germany, he was a Dominican priest, a theologian, a mystic, and a philosopher.  He went through times of great stress and turmoil, to the point of being brought before the Inquisition at the end of his life.  Yet, Meister Eckhart found blessings in being able to give thanks in all things, even in the midst of suffering and struggle, even in the midst of bearing his crosses in life.  I give thanks today for my wonderful parish of St James in Tupelo. I give thanks for our 100 years of forming disciples of Christ.  I give thanks for the sacrifices so many people made to pass down the faith in our parish over the years.  I give thanks for our diverse community – young and old, those whose families have been here at St James for many generations, and for those who came to the Tupelo area for work or to make a new life as immigrants.  I give thanks for the cultural diversity in our parish, for the different ways our parishioners see God present in their lives. I give thanks for the many gifts our parishioners have, how they share those gifts with our parish and our community.  I give thanks for the blessings God gives each of us, and for the grace he gives us to meet the challenges we face in life, even though those challenges and obstacles may seem overwhelming at times.  In our prayers and in our lives, let us have an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude, thanking God for our journey and for his presence with us.