gratefulness

From a Grateful Heart

unsplash-image-fs_l0Xqlc90.jpg

Thanksgiving is a special time of gratitude: vibrant fall colours, cool fresh days and nights, thoughts of family gatherings, and abundant fresh harvest. Rumi writes, ‘Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.’

Stop for a moment and say thank you for two gifts in your life right now. Life is full of opportunities, of gifts, it happens that sometimes we have the experience but miss the meaning.  This summer a group of meditators met each Thursday for prayer and community sharing.  Recently we commented on the peace and harmony we are experiencing during this time together.  One said, if only the whole world were praying like this how different life would be. Another commented, it feels like we know the secret for peace.

Apart from Me.png

God gave us this beautiful earth out of love for our happiness.  Everyone desires happiness, and happy people are grateful people.  We live gratefully by becoming aware that every moment in our day is valuable, even those difficult and challenging.  Those times are an invitation to transcend self in the interest of the other and live a more mature and productive life. We know by faith that this is only possible with grace.  Jesus says, ‘apart from me you can do nothing’.  -John 15:5

Gratitude is a heart muscle that grows through use, and Meister Eckhart says,’If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that is enough.’

Guaranteed. Happy Thanksgiving!

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj

Living the Mission Through Service

Ecclesiasticus 34:20 expresses my life’s journey.  It states “you lift up the soul, O God and make the eyes sparkle.  You give health and life and blessing.”

In this blog I want to give you a glimpse into my lived experience of responding to God’s call with deep faith, a living trust and a love that conquers all fears.

The Present

Sky-high snow banks, closed roads, and continuous snowfalls remind me of February 12, 1947.  That day, my father and I left my only sister and our home in Quyon Quebec to enter the convent at St. Joseph’s-on-the-Lake in Pembroke.  Roads were closed. We returned home.  My sister was grateful, she wiped her tears and prepared a delicious meal, celebrating our return and her first wedding anniversary.

The next day we went to Pembroke via Ottawa.  I was fearful enough of the new venture but had no idea that I would be appointed to Ottawa in 1970 to teach French with the Bazilians at St. Joseph’s High School which closed (sold) soon after.

I found myself with the Public Board.  The school paper heading – ‘A NUN!’  Were you or are you a NUN?  My fears and anxieties diminished as time went on and especially when I learned that the head of my French Department had been in the Seminary.

I taught first at Glebe Collegiate with its gifted programs, then at Lisgar, the oldest High School in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.  There were line-ups even in the snow for cross boundary transfers.

Parents boasted that Peter Jennings, Adrienne Clarkson, Rich Little, and Lorne Green had all attended Lisgar.

After 40 ½ years of uninterrupted teaching, I, along with Sister Eileen Allison, carried out a ministry of hospitality at 476 Wilbrod Street in Ottawa.

We shared our home-cooked meals with our guests.  They shared their experiences which were life-giving and joyful.  There was no lack of interesting conversations, with varied cultures and accents, especially when members of the CRC stayed with us after their meetings, sharing the richness of their time together.

My heart is filled with gratitude for all the blessings showered on me by a loving God throughout my long life.  I believe that ‘You made me in the image of your own eternity.’  (Wisdom 2:23)

- Sister Marie Meilleur

 

,

Thankfulness!

,

Thanksgiving weekend has just passed. Does thankfulness linger in your mind and heart? From the moment of awakening until we fall asleep, we are gifted in so many ways each and every day. All is gift. Gracious living means not taking God, people or things for granted. From God’s abundant goodness we have all received. Each moment is a precious gift from God. We enter this world and leave this world poor in spirit. To be human means to need other people for survival. Through life’s ups and downs, an attitude of gratitude can help a person maintain inner peace. The practice of counting one’s blessings results in contentment. With open hands and hearts, we can consciously choose to gratefully receive the countless graces our loving God bestows upon us, leading us to the fullness of life.   

Every day so many people’s presence, words and deeds contribute to our wellbeing. It is humbling to consider this fact. When we sincerely express our appreciation for others, we are acknowledging our interconnectedness. By saying “thank you,” we are telling another person their life blesses our own and makes a positive difference in our world. Living our life from this perspective of thankfulness accentuates what is going well. Keeping a gratitude journal can help us to keep our focus on how truly blessed you and I are. Awareness of how incredibly enriched our own lives are because of God’s goodness, our hearts can be moved to reach out to others and give to persons in need. 

I recommend viewing the meaningful TED talk below by David Steindl-Rast entitled: “Want to be Happy? Be Grateful.”

Kathleen O’Keefe CSJ