My dear parishioners,
Gratus is an old Latin word which means “to be pleasing.” This word is the root of our word “grateful” or “gratefulness.” To be grateful is to be appreciative of kindness and benefits received. Traditionally, acts of loving kindness are met with an attitude of gratefulness by the receiver.
Many years ago, I was eating in a Chinese restaurant. At the end of the meal, I received the bill which was accompanied by the customary fortune cookie. When I opened the cookie and read the fortune I was momentarily dumbfounded. It took me a moment to absorb the message which was both simple and profound. The fortune said, “A truly poor person is not the one who has little, but the one who wants more.” Being grateful, then, is being pleased and thankful for the gifts we have received and for the kindnesses shown to us by others.
As God’s children, we are called to treasure the gifts that we receive in this life. As good stewards of those gifts, we are called to accept gifts gratefully, treasure them, use them as needed and then share these gifts with others. This is a sign of a good steward of what we have been freely given by the Creator in this life.
I suggest that “Thank you” should be the words on our lips when we wake up in the morning and when we go to bed at night. It is so easy to take for granted the many treasures in our lives, whether they be people or things. Always wanting more is a sign of being ungrateful and will eventually lead to misery.
During these days of the Coronavirus pandemic, we might be inclined to be resentful for all the activities we cannot do. However, we would do well to consciously adopt an attitude of gratefulness for all that we have received. Granted there are people who have more than we do, but then there are people who have less. Sadly, some people no longer have life because of the virus. We should then be good stewards of the gifts we have received and consider them true blessings and be grateful for them.
Fr. Bill
May 28, 2020