THANK YOU FOR READING THIS

I am so fortunate. I get to be pastor of a great parish with fantastic people, beautiful buildings, and wonderful liturgies. Our music is something to boast about, the involvement and dedication to the parish by the people is out of this world, and there is a great appreciation for the Blessed Sacrament.

On a more selfish note, I live in a great house with great people, have a hardworking staff who I like, and it is all in a rather remarkable part of town. I’m lucky and I know it.

Then somebody asked me the other day, “If you only had today what you have thanks for yesterday, what would you have?” Now there’s something about which to think!

The word “Eucharist” itself means thanksgiving so perhaps today we would still celebrate Mass. We are of the custom saying grace so there would be food today. (Yeah!) That’s a great start. I remember feeling thankful for some things but can’t necessarily say that I formed a formal thank you in my thoughts. The cooler weather, that there was gas in my sister’s mower, that I was not stuck in the traffic jam going in the other direction as I was traveling down the highway. But did I actually express my gratitude? These things are boarder line and I believe God in His generosity would let these things count.

What did not even come to mind was my health, that I had a reliable car, drinking water and bathing water, electricity and things that run on electricity, money for luxuries such as dog food, people to wave to as I walk around the neighborhood, that I have freedom, rights, protection, that I can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel, that I have blog and people like you to read them – I take that one back – I offer a prayer for my readers and my parish every day.

Interesting thought – What would you have today if you only had what you gave thanks for yesterday? I ties in nicely with another quote: “No one can be truly sad and truly thankful at the same time.”