Gratitude 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3: 16) 

   I suspect John 3: 16 might be the most familiar verse in scripture.  It expresses the hope of all who believe in Christ; the hope of eternal life with Him.

   We often express gratitude for the sacrifice Jesus made for us and rightly so.  But how often do we take the time to give God thanks for all else He does for us?  We exist because He wills it; all we have is from His love and His grace.  Do we stop and thank Him as often as we should?  We sometimes take for granted His many blessings, forgetting that without Him nothing, not us, not the world, not anything, would exist.

   To express our gratitude for His many blessings is a holy act; an act of love for the God who loves us.  To give Him thanks is right and just.  We far too often accept the gifts of God as our due.  We look upon them as a something deserved, rather than something given out of His love for us.

   Today, all over the world, we will receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  He shares with us, not only many blessings, but His very Self.  We are truly blessed, let us give Him thanks. 

You bless us in so many ways.

We sometimes forget to say thanks.

Remind us often of all You do.

That we may give You thanks always. 

Amen