Fr. Rick here from Ave Maria University. I’m actually not on campus right now I am a couple of hours north in the diocese of Venice at Our Lady of perpetual help Retreat Center. Because we have Fall Break and I wanted to take a couple of days to go say thank you to God. Things are going amazingly well on campus, so many people getting into their faith and going deeper. The Holy Spirit is setting the place on fire with his love. Often times my prayers are not about gratitude but more about “give me this give me that”.
Not too long ago I was at a birthday party and I watched this young boy tear into a stack of presents and cards with his name on them. He was ripping thru them one at a time with wrapping paper flying thru living room, tossing cards aside that I thought they’d take someone’s eye out and I’m thinking: that’s kind of what I do with the gifts of God. I rip through them. I expect them to come and I just kind of give a little, “ya ya thanks a lot.” Then I move on to the next. And yet we should put more effort into prayers of gratitude because the Lord is constantly answering our prayers and constantly granting them even in ways we can’t always see. Think of the crisis from last year that you prayed about. It’s probably gone and resolved. He probably moved you to a place of peace. But do we run from one crisis to the next crisis? Worry about the next problem? Or stop and give Him thanks?
In the Gospel from Luke 18 we find a Pharisee praying with this kind of attitude: “Look at what I do for you Lord. This is how good I am and how deserving of your grace. I fast, I pay tithes.” Meanwhile the poor little tax collector on his knees prays: “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Two different ways to pray. One man expects and even demands God’s Grace the other one is totally aware that any gift from God is exactly that, it’s a gift that comes from his mercy.
We don’t deserve it but it is a gift of His mercy and so the proper stance is gratitude. I wonder if you could take some time soon to just go off and spend quality time thanking the Lord for the gifts you’ve been given. May God give you peace!
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