Last week, I went to help load up bags of Thanksgiving food for the needy at church. It was a whole production and many retirees were there.
As I looked around, people were smiling and joking with one another. Everyone was energized to put the hundreds of bags together. You could just tell that everyone was thankful to be able to help.
Yesterday, when I went out to meet the Dominican nuns, many of us brought donated food items for them. It was nothing special, just rice, potatoes, ketchup, and other unassuming items.
As one of the nuns gathered the food up, she was so thankful and excited. “Oh, this is so great! We appreciate you bringing this food so much.”
In my head, I thought, “To be so grateful for rice and canned mushrooms is such a contrast to the rest of noise in the world.”
On social media, all is doom and gloom. I have barely seen anyone happy about anything lately with regards to anything, most especially the Catholic Church.
It’s not conservative enough!
It’s not progressive enough!
Everything is lost!
Doom, doom, doom.
You know me, I would never suggest sticking my head in the sand and ignoring problems, but a bit of gratitude seems necessary.
You see, behind the scenes, there are faithful Catholics doing good works and when I look at them, they are smiling and thankful. They know they can’t control everything and so they seek to control what they can in their small corner of the world and they are actually making a difference.
Today, Jesus heals ten lepers and only one comes back to thank Him.
I haven’t seen much gratitude towards God and His Church lately for all the good they provide, mostly behind the scenes and unreported.
If we only go looking for something to stir us up into anger, Catholic Pilgrims, we will find it. We need to remember to offer thanks to God for the many blessings we often overlook in our quest to right all the wrongs of the world.
Gratitude goes a long way into putting things into perspective.
Have a blessed Wednesday.
