Feast of Saint Lawrence O'Toole

Good morning. Our relationship with God is often like that of a fair weather friend. We are right there along side Him as long as things are going our way. In today’s Gospel Jesus cures a poor blind man. The blind man persistently calls out to Jesus and because of the man’s strong faith Jesus turns around and cures the man of his blindness. Too often, like a fair weather friend we look to God with a sense of entitlement. We take account of our lives as if things should balance out, “after all I’ve lived a good life, You owe me.” “I’m a good person!” Yet, how often do we say “Thank you!” How often do we express our gratitude to God for what we do have? Likewise how often do we express gratitude for our spouse? Do we express how appreciative we are for their gifts to us? How is your life better and more meaningful because your spouse is part of it? If we could learn to appreciate what we do have, and live our lives gratefully, we would then grow in our love for each other. Gratitude is like a gift our child makes for us, but it gets broken or lost along the way. It isn’t the gift we are grateful for; no we are grateful for the intent and the goodness of the child. So too it is with God, and so too it should be with our spouse, we are grateful for their goodness. It isn’t the actual gift, but the love behind their actions; our gratitude is for who God is and not for what He gives us. It should be likewise with our spouse, we should be grateful for who they are and not for what they give us. Blessed John Paul II notes in Familiaris Consortio that spouses should “profess their gratitude to God for the sublime gift bestowed on them of being able to live in their married and family lives the very love of God for people and that of the Lord Jesus for the Church, His bride.” Our joy should be in sharing our life with our spouse, the gifts we give one another are certainly cause for enjoyment and pleasure but ultimately our joy is in the goodness of our spouse themselves, and the opportunity to share whatever we have in the moment afforded to us. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Lawrence O’Toole.