Attitude of Gratitude

05-14-2017Weekly ReflectionSeminarian Sam McCarty

It isn't often that we're given the chance to take a step back and recognize the many things we should be grateful for. The Lord is so good to us, and yet we rarely take a moment to say a simple thank you. Luckily for me, I've been given an opportunity right now to reflect on my semester internship and to acknowledge the multitude of graces I've received. Since gratitude is on my mind, I figured I would offer a brief encouragement on it.

"From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace," says the Gospel of John (Jn 1:16). While God's generosity is a theological truth, it can be difficult to see his goodness in our everyday lives. Maybe things seem too ordinary or too difficult to be a gift from God. We want to avoid that kind of thinking and come to the belief that everything is an undeserved gift – St. Therese teaches, "Everything is grace."

Perhaps most helpful in cultivating a grateful heart is to thank God before his graces come. Doing this immediately in the morning helps us be more aware of God's work in our lives throughout the day. You can easily imagine the difference between waking up and thinking, "I just want to go back to sleep" and saying, "Thank you, Father, for another day and for your great goodness to me." This isn't about just positive thinking, but is more so about setting ourselves up to receive what the Lord has to give us. A grateful heart is also a receptive one. Gratitude helps destroy pride and entitlement and instead makes us content and joyful even in difficult moments. Once we make gratitude a habit, we'll begin to notice themes and trends in what God is offering to us and be able to see his action in our lives.

Lately I've become more aware of the many good people that God has brought into my life. In addition to friends and family, this has been one of the greatest graces of my time on internship. Thank you all so much for your openness, generosity, and witness of faith. One of the advantages of being a seminarian is being able to see new life in the Church – I see good men laying down their lives for the Lord, I see young people passionate about their faith, I see fortitude in the midst of suffering. Thank God for this! This perspective has held true these last twelve weeks: there is life here. Let's be thankful for it.

Tomorrow morning, make it a point to have your first words of the day be thanksgiving. Perhaps write down five things you're thankful for. Maybe ask someone you talk to every day what they're grateful for. Don't forget to whom we are directing our gratitude: the Father, the source of all good things.

My address is 1000 E Maple Ave, Mundelein, IL, 60060. I'd be happy to hear from you. Thank you for everything, please know of my continued thoughts and prayers.

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