During the season of Lent, we reflected upon the importance of gratitude in our life of faith as Catholics. We had different quotes of gratitude for each day of Lent. I felt the Holy Spirit moving me to explore this theme of gratitude with all of you here at St Jude during the season of Lent.
At the end of December 2020, when the pandemic was in full force, Pope Francis reflected upon gratitude in his general papal audience, which was done remotely because of the pandemic. He stated that thanksgiving is to be a hallmark of an authentic Christian life. Pope Francis goes on to say: “Above all, let us not forget to thank: if we are bearers of gratitude, the world itself will become better, even if only a little bit, but that is enough to transmit a bit of hope….The world needs hope. And with gratitude, with this habit of saying thank you, we transmit a bit of hope. Everything is united and everything is connected, and everyone needs to do his or her part wherever we are." I love those words the Pope uses that calls us all to be "bearers of gratitude."
Gratitude is a choice we make in our lives. You have probably met people who have a lot of blessings in life, yet all they seem to do is complain and not be thankful for any of those blessings. Yet, we also know people who have had a very rough journey in life or who are currently going through a lot of struggles, yet at the same time are very thankful to the Lord. Sometimes our biggest struggles and a difficult moment in life can bring about a lot of blessings. Some of the biggest lessons we learn in life are through our struggles and challenges. Maybe we cannot see it in the moment, but upon reflection and discernment, we are able to be grateful and give thanks for what we have learned and how we have grown.
In the midst of the difficulty and struggles of the pandemic, Pope Francis wrote this: “Here, perhaps we can find ‘meaning’ to the tragedy of this pandemic, like other scourges that strike humanity: that of awakening in us compassion and provoking attitudes and gestures of closeness, of care, of solidarity.”
It is good for us to count our blessings. I am thankful for all our children who are going to receive first holy communion this upcoming weekend, for Kathleen Edwards and all the catechists and parents who helped form these children in preparing for this blessed sacrament. I am thankful for the large group of youth who will be confirmed by Bishop Kopacz on June 1, for their faithfulness during this confirmation journey. I am thankful for our St Jude staff who go above and beyond, since with my duties as vicar general, I am not at our parish during the week and I am pulled in so many different directions. I am thankful for all our parishioners and volunteers who have pitched in during the pandemic and who have kept our parish vibrant and full of faith. I am thankful for the patience all of you have had with me with my own health struggles and with my busy schedule, understanding that I am sometimes struggling with a lot of things and trying to do my best.
We have read books and watched videos from Catholic Evangelist Chris Stefanick many times in the past here at St Jude. Below is a link to a wonderful video he has on gratitude. All of us on our journey of faith are to be grateful and thankful; may we never forget to be grateful, no matter what we are going through on our journey. Blessings - Father Lincoln.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1djQrbHJAU8
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