Good morning. It will soon be gift giving time. Why in just a few short days we will be getting together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving—the day before ‘Black Friday.’ The stores will soon be filled with holiday shoppers all in the quest of the perfect gift. Yet the perfect gift is not to be found at Macy’s, nor Target, why not even at Wal-Mart. No, the perfect gift cannot be purchased. No, it is freely given. I’ve been giving this whole matter some thought here lately, prompted I suppose by the various
Gospel parables regarding gold coins, talents, and such, regarding gratitude and appreciation for the gifts God has given us. Something else has prompted my giving thought to this whole thing of being grateful and that was a conversation I had the other day with someone while I was out splitting wood. This man approached me the other day and happened to mention what great children we have and it has given me cause to consider that thought even further. Without a doubt he is absolutely right in his assessment of our children, Linda and I are truly blessed. This has prompted my thinking about what has led to the goodness of our four children. It is not an easy thing to sum up but I’d say that teaching our children to have an appreciation of life as a gift and developing in them a sense of responsibility for being good stewards of the gifts God has given them has been crucial in their being the four wonderful people they are. At the base of it all has been the gift of our faith and our love. “The greatest of these is love.” Yes indeed! Love is everything. It is priceless. Jesus in today’s Gospel raises the question of how we as parents best use the gifts God has given us. Each day is a new gift from God, how will we choose to use it to reflect for our children God’s goodness? May our Saint for today,
Saint Gertrude the Great, guide us. Make a great day!
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary.
O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.
~ Saint Gertrude the Great
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