Lent and Gratitude
I never feel like I do a good job at being grateful. I work with volunteers and I am always wondering if I adequately express my deep gratitude for each of them. I have started a new practice this Lent. I want to stop and make sure my thanks is not rushed or stuck in at the end of a task or an event. I want to look the person I am thanking in the eye, sit with her or him, and take time to relate the importance of their presence and actions. And, most importantly, I want my gratitude to come from a deep well within that knows God’s Providence. The Dominicans of Sinsinawa have a saying: “Providence can provide, Providence did provide, and Providence will provide.” Gratefulness is expressed wholeheartedly when one believes that God is the source of every need. Trust, openness, mercy, hope, joy – these are the characteristics of a grateful heart. So, this Lent I am cultivating the practice of gratitude as a way of li...