Editorial

Counting Our Blessings

I was talking to an old friend who has been very ill and who had to be isolated in hospital for many months. I asked him how he had coped with the isolation and lack of the companionship of friends and family. He simply said, "I spent the time counting my blessings".

"Blessings?" I replied. "Yes," he said "I was very thankful of the prayers and love of my friends and family but most of all for the love of Christ. For the regular visits of the priest bringing me the Blessed Sacrament and the graces I received which enabled me to withstand the painful procedures. Sometimes there was a pain free day, sometimes I could actually manage to eat the food I was given and on sunny days the sun shone through my window giving me a tremendous lift. The doctors and nurses gave me of their best expertise and care".

This conversation left me very humbled and very much aware of my failing to appreciate the blessings God has given to me. How often have I, like so many of us, simply accepted the good things without a second thought.

Harvest Thanksgiving is a timely reminder of our collective thankfulness but we must never forget our personal thankfulness and the effort we must put in day by day to acknowledge God's presence in our everyday life. In everything give thanks for it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (I Thess. 5:18).

St Therése of Liseux reminds us to be thankful of the little things. Once we've achieved this we can see the bigger picture and our gratitude should know no bounds and a thankful heart is a joyful heart.

 'Unreformed' - the magazine of the International Church