On Gratitude

It’s important to have a grateful heart. It’s good for the soul. It’s one thing to be in an undesirable state of being and another to chronically complain. Scripture tells us to be content in any situation, but sometimes it’s harder than it seems.  Gratitude by definition is the readiness to show appreciation for something. And if we take one step at a time without obsessing about the past or future, it’s easier to be grateful for the present moment.  As difficult as it may seem at times, it’s probably not as bad as we’ve made it out to be in our own minds. I think it’s important to have a “reality check” accompanied by counting our blessings to remain content in any situation as we are told to do.

Scripture tells us that we are to be generally grateful for God’s goodness, and if that’s all that we have to be appreciative for, it’s a lot! Scripture reminds us to be grateful for a new day and living in it. Living to see another day is a sign of God’s faithfulness. Part of God’s goodness is also listening to our prayer and answering it. We are told in Ephesians to “never cease to give thanks” to the Lord: “Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Eph. 5:20). In other words, remaining in Christ through prayer and a positive attitude is the secret behind gratitude - available to all if we take the time to seek it.

In fact, offering your life to God on a daily basis brings peace naturally and opens the door wide open to gratitude. It is in this state that we find God when everything else is noisy and stressful. My favorite time of day to count my blessings and give thanks to the Lord is first thing in the morning, to remind myself that I am not alone and to petition for my daily needs. I rest in peace knowing that God will answer and that my needs will be met. The Morning Offering is an essential part of my prayer life that blesses me every day: 

Most holy and adorable Trinity, one God in three Persons, I praise You and give You thanks for all the favors You have bestowed on me.  Your goodness has preserved me until now.  I offer You my whole being and in particular all of my thoughts, words, and deeds, together with all the trials I may undergo this day.  Give them Your blessing.  May Your divine love animate them and may they serve Your greater glory.  

I make this morning offering in union with the divine intentions of Jesus Christ who offers himself daily in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and in union with Mary, his Virgin Mother and our Mother, who was always the faithful handmaid of the Lord. Amen.