Friday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.” Luke 8:15

It is worth asking how one is supposed to keep a generous heart to then yield an abundant harvest. Conventional wisdom holds that you only get ahead by keeping the best things for yourself. Well, the wisdom from scripture isn’t conventional. It is truthful and timeless. When we hold back what we have we eventually lose what we had to start with. When we give generously, we will “reap an abundant harvest.” This is made possible through gratitude. Gratitude is something that is underrated yet always needed. It can be said to be the true foundation of a good life.

St. Benedict knew about gratitude very well. As can be seen in his Rule, he condemned grumbling more than any other vice. He knew well the truth that ingratitude is the wormwood to a holy life. If you grumble, you will stumble. If you give thanks, you can take it to the bank. This isn’t to say gratitude comes easy. Life will give you plenty of reasons to grumble. There are life-threatening illnesses, natural disasters, and the never-ending plague of differing opinions. That‘s a lot, without mentioning politics. Having a grateful attitude doesn’t mean we ignore these things. It means we face those head-on, knowing that we have more good things in our lives than bad.

The 18th Century philosopher and writer Voltaire caricatured those who believed that we live in a good world. He wrote a book called Candide where the main character is constantly giving thanks while he suffers every imaginable form of misfortune. Voltaire didn’t fully understand gratitude. There is so much to be thankful for in life. We simply have to search for it. Gratitude is not passive living. It does not mean we ignore suffering or evil. It means we give thanks for the good things we find in life.

This is also practical. Imagine that you’re driving your car and all of a sudden you have a flat tire. How do you solve the situation? What works better? If you get out and start cursing all creation you won’t solve your problem anytime soon. If you compose yourself and give thanks that the accident wasn’t worse, you can then focus on changing your tire and solving your problem. Gratitude opens your life so you can live it to the fullest. Pray to God that gratitude will fill your heart today.

Reflection: I once heard an abbot say at a Solemn Profession that a monk should “not let a day go by without giving thanks to God.” Incorporate an hourly prayer of gratitude into your daily life. This means to give thanks each hour for something good. Just do this as often as you remember to. You may find your life will be filled with more peace and joy.

Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB