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Gratitude … the heart of thanksgiving
Sometimes saying “thank you” can become an automatic response. “Have a nice day.” “Thanks, you too.” It’s a polite gesture which actually has some very profound meaning behind it. The word gratitude speaks to that deeper dimension.
The word gratitude comes from the medieval Latin words gratitudo and gratus which mean “thankful.” Interestingly, these words are related to the Latin word gratia which means “favor,” “grace,” or “gift.” Gratitude is significant because it is a sign of self-transcendence, that is, the capacity to step out of ourselves. In Spirituality Today, Joanne Wolski Conn (an IHM Associate) and Walter Conn say this about self-transcendence:
“… self-transcendence proposes the paradoxical claim that authentic self-realization consists, not in the self-centered and illusory attempts either to deny the self or to meet its desires, but in a dynamic movement beyond oneself toward the good of others.”
Conversion as Self-Transcendence Exemplified in the Life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
… the article is from a while back, but the content continues to be relevant …
Think about it. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude means that we must look for the good in others, no matter what. It means we recognize not just a gift given but all life as gift. It means we can be a little more like God in how we relate to others:
The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed…
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him.verses from Psalm 103
What are you grateful for this day?
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Now’s a great time to say how grateful I am for all of you who read my blog, offer comments, and/or send me emails. It is a privilege to converse with you and talk about this great adventure of life. Sincerely, Sister Julie
I am grateful for life. I am alive and healthy. I am grateful for family and friends and for my supportive community.
Mercy.
Someone once said if we only do one thing and that is to say thanks we have done it all. The power of “gratitude”!
I am grateful for risk-takers who aren’t afraid to “continue the conversation”, to share their personal values, to search for a different truth. Let us not be afraid to change our ‘truths’ as Mahatma Ghandi said, “I am committed to truth as I learn it each day not to consistency.”
I am grateful because I have a mom and a dad
thanks to sr. julie for her little insights. u are in my thoughts and prayers. a cold -5 nite in toronto but reaching out to you, with a joy in my heart. allan
I’m grateful for all those along the way, both “analog” friends and “digital” ones.