Feb. 26, 2019: Divine Mercy Week 1 Grateful for being a child of God
Feb. 26, 2019: Divine Mercy Week 1 Grateful for being a child of God
Do you consider yourself a grateful person? Do you tend to dwell on thoughts such as “I’m truly blessed,” “I’m so glad,” and “we are so fortunate”? Or do your thoughts tend to dwell on burdens, deprivations, entitlements, and complaints? Scientists say that persons with a grateful attitude sleep better at night, have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, suffer less from heart disease, and feel more connected to others. Think of what would happen if a priest who had been dwelling on negative thoughts all day, approached the pulpit to preach. What kind of blessing or curse would his parishioners receive at that mass?
In the Disney movie Pollyanna, a family gathered one Sunday after attending a fiery, bitter, and scolding preaching by the minister. Each family member shared how they hate Sundays because the minister’s fire and brimstone preaching made them feel so awful. Later in the movie, Pollyanna met the minister to share with him her own father’s rule of thumb. The rule of thumb was written on her locket which her father gave her: “IF YOU LOOK FOR THE BAD IN MANKIND EXPECTING TO FIND IT, YOU SURELY WILL.” Pollyanna then told the minister that her father began to look for “happy” passages in the bible and found over 800 passages about rejoicing and being glad. She said, “If God took the trouble to tell us 800 times to be glad and rejoice, He must have wanted us to do it.”
Here is one of the greatest reasons why we should always be grateful: for being chosen as a child of God. Because God is so generous and merciful, he has adopted each of us as His own sons and daughters even though we do not deserve being his children. We should be grateful that God welcomes us as his little ones. In turn, God asks us to welcome the little ones around us just as he did. He is not only talking about the little children but also the suffering, the needy, the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. When we welcome these little souls who are suffering, we imitate the generosity and mercy of God. When we seize these opportunities to help in some way these suffering souls, we are being “merciful like the Father.” (Luke 6:36) Listen to what St. Faustina wrote, “Today I live, glorifying the Holy Trinity. I thank God that He has stooped down to adopt us as His children, through grace." Should we not then be grateful in all those moments when we distribute God’s kindness, compassion, and patience through our little acts of love?
Do you consider yourself a grateful person? Do you tend to dwell on thoughts such as “I’m truly blessed,” “I’m so glad,” and “we are so fortunate”? Or do your thoughts tend to dwell on burdens, deprivations, entitlements, and complaints? Scientists say that persons with a grateful attitude sleep better at night, have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, suffer less from heart disease, and feel more connected to others. Think of what would happen if a priest who had been dwelling on negative thoughts all day, approached the pulpit to preach. What kind of blessing or curse would his parishioners receive at that mass?
In the Disney movie Pollyanna, a family gathered one Sunday after attending a fiery, bitter, and scolding preaching by the minister. Each family member shared how they hate Sundays because the minister’s fire and brimstone preaching made them feel so awful. Later in the movie, Pollyanna met the minister to share with him her own father’s rule of thumb. The rule of thumb was written on her locket which her father gave her: “IF YOU LOOK FOR THE BAD IN MANKIND EXPECTING TO FIND IT, YOU SURELY WILL.” Pollyanna then told the minister that her father began to look for “happy” passages in the bible and found over 800 passages about rejoicing and being glad. She said, “If God took the trouble to tell us 800 times to be glad and rejoice, He must have wanted us to do it.”
Here is one of the greatest reasons why we should always be grateful: for being chosen as a child of God. Because God is so generous and merciful, he has adopted each of us as His own sons and daughters even though we do not deserve being his children. We should be grateful that God welcomes us as his little ones. In turn, God asks us to welcome the little ones around us just as he did. He is not only talking about the little children but also the suffering, the needy, the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. When we welcome these little souls who are suffering, we imitate the generosity and mercy of God. When we seize these opportunities to help in some way these suffering souls, we are being “merciful like the Father.” (Luke 6:36) Listen to what St. Faustina wrote, “Today I live, glorifying the Holy Trinity. I thank God that He has stooped down to adopt us as His children, through grace." Should we not then be grateful in all those moments when we distribute God’s kindness, compassion, and patience through our little acts of love?
