Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd Mk 9: 38-40 “Whoever is not against us is for us.”
At the end of the Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola wrote: “This is to ask for what I desire. Here it will be to ask for an intimate knowledge of the many blessings received, that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty.”
Certainly we have all been blessed with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola! Today, Fr. Ed gives us 10 concrete reasons to offer thanks to our loving Savior!
1. A NEW DAY: A NEW SUNRISE. Every day that we rise from sleep after a good night’s rest, we should thank God for His protection during the night and the gift of another day.
2. A NOURISHING MEAL. Many will go to bed hungry this night; some will even die from malnutrition and starvation. We should always bless the meal that God provides for us through the hands and hard work of others. A child said this prayer during the Thanksgiving holiday: “God, I thank you that I can choose the food I eat!” How many people throughout the world have never seen a Refrigerator? Or a sumptuous meal with multiple, delicious foods to choose from?
3. FRIENDLY AND SMALL WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. Desolation is part and parcel of human existence and we all know of it from personal experience. How often has it happened that the Good Lord has rescued us from a state of desolation by sending some Good Samaritan along our path to give us a shining smile of friendship, and some encouraging and kind words? For these uplifting experiences let us express our gratitude to God, but also show our gratitude by becoming that Good Samaritan for others!
4. SUFFICIENT HEALTH TO MOVE ON. As the years transpire our health declines, but God intervenes with His powerful Presence to lift us up and help us move on despite our weakening frame and creaking structure. Never forget the words of the poet: “I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet!” We will always bump into people who are worse off than us. Count your blessings!
5. TIME, TALENT, AND TREASURE. Render a heartfelt Thank You to God for the time, talent, and treasure that God has given to you. Show your gratitude in a concrete way by imitating the two servants in the Parable of the Talents who doubled their talents and returned them with interest to their Master. (Mt 25: 14-28) May we never show ingratitude to God by our laziness; rather, let us show our gratitude by hard work and diligent effort!
6. JOY! We must be constantly grateful for the many times that God has filled our hearts and minds with joy! This is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that becomes manifest when we correspond to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Remember the acronym J.O.Y. = Jesus, Others, You! Want Joy? Put Jesus first, others second, and yourself last!
7. HEAVEN. The thought of Heaven that awaits God’s faithful followers should fill us with overflowing joy and gratitude. Jesus expressed these most consoling words: “I am going to prepare a place for you now, so that where I am, you also might be. In my Father’s house there are many mansions.” (Jn 14:1-3) Constantly we should thank Jesus that He has a place already prepared for us in Heaven! Let us live in such a way that when we die, we are ready to go to Heaven to be with Jesus!
8. ANGELS AND SAINTS. Today in many parts of the world, many people suffer a constant, crushing loneliness. They have an overriding feeling that nobody cares for them, nobody loves them. For followers of Jesus, this is never the case because we belong to a warm and loving family—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and our Blessed Mother! Other important members of our family are the angels and the saints. They are the best of friends to us. We should form a habit of talking to them every day and thanking them for their friendship and assistance, for they are eager to help us whenever we ask them! Hopefully you pray to your Guardian Angel every day! Who are other favorite angels and saints that you pray to for help along the way?
9. GOD’S MERCY AND PROVIDENCE. How can we ever go through a day without thanking God for His Divine Providence and His Infinite Mercy? By Providence we mean the simple fact that God provides for us, defends us, protects us, nourishes us, and simply cares for us as a loving Father—let us render thanks for His Divine Providence! Even though we are weak, fragile, and prone to fall many times a day, our God is a loving and merciful Father who, when we ask for mercy, forgives us in a heartbeat. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps 107:1)
10. MARY MOST HOLY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE. Finally, let us never let a day go by in which we fail to talk to Mary as our loving Mother, as “our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” (Hail Holy Queen) How grateful we really should be that Mary is our Mother—she loves us, she prays for us, she cares for us, she protects us, and she will help us to pass from this life to the next in the state of grace. Then with our Mother Mary, we will love God, thank God, and praise God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all eternity!
