Let’s usher in a Year of Gratitude #3
The Sisters of Life sent us their latest publication titled, “The Life-Changing Power of Gratitude.” You’ll recall that they spoke at our Christmas Gala a year ago. There is power in gratitude, as their publication points out, so much so that Pulse Life Advocates believes now is the time to usher in a year of gratitude.
Some of the most famous saints talked of the power of gratitude, for example:
St. Therese of Lisieux: “Gratitude is the thing that brings us the most grace.”
St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier: “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”
St. Gianna Beretta Molla: “The secret of happiness is to … thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.
St. Ignatius of Loyola: “Ingratitude is the cause, beginning, and origin of all sins and misfortunes.”
St. Bernard of Clairvaux: “Ingratitude is the greatest hindrance to progress in the spiritual life.”
St. Augustine: “Ingratitude is the root of all evil.”
“Happiness is a serious problem”
Talk show host, Dennis Prager, wrote a best-selling book in 1998 titled, “Happiness is a Serious Problem.” In it, he said that each of us has a moral responsibility to be happy, and that gratitude is foundational to happiness:
“Gratitude is the basis for happiness and goodness. You cannot be a good person if you are not grateful. Everything good flows from gratitude and everything bad flows from ingratitude. If you’re not grateful, you walk around thinking you’re a victim. A sense of victimhood in you or your group is the single biggest reason people commit evil.”
You can watch more of Prager’s views on gratitude above.
Years ago, we attended a Mass said by the late Fr. James Kiernan who encouraged us to get down on our knees each night before bedtime and thank God for the gift of our life.
Fr. Kiernan’s supplication resonates more than ever, as a record 50,000 people committed suicide in the U.S. last year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 20 to 24 year olds.
Worse, we aborted the lives of roughly another 800,000 unique human beings last year.
Fight back with an attitude of gratitude
This ingratitude for life causes so much evil. Let’s fight back by making 2024 the year of gratitude.
Let the words of the great G.K. Chesterton inspire us:
“At the back of our brains … [there is] a forgotten blaze or burst of astonishment at our own existence. The object of the artistic and spiritual life [is] to dig for this submerged sunrise of wonder; so that a man sitting in a chair might suddenly understand that he [is] actually alive, and be happy.”
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus is Life. Each abortion, each suicide, denies Christ.
Let us affirm the Way and the Truth he showed us by demonstrating our gratitude for the gift of Life. 2024 is a beautiful year to begin. What a great new year’s resolution!
Happy New Year.
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