Dear Parishioners,
At Mass we sometimes pray that we have an “attitude of gratitude” for God’s plentiful gifts. I am feeling that attitude as we close out Thanksgiving week and begin Advent.
Our faith is like an anchor that helps to stabilize us when the ship of our life is rocked to and fro. I am thankful for my faith that I can rest my fear upon, that can hold my sadness, that counteracts my worry. When I am tossed about by insecurity, by loss, and by tragedy, God’s word leads me to the warmth of His light. God’s peace gives me reassurance that his presence in my life is the real truth I should attend to. His love offers a quiet repose from the hectic and unstable movements of the world. The love of Christ tells me that I am not alone nor am I drifting aimlessly, but that I have a strong relationship with the King of the Universe who will not allow me to be lost.
I am grateful for the people that God has put in my path, good people, caring people, honest and supportive people. They create a strong fabric that holds me against the rips and frayed ends that naturally occur in this life. God has been a gift in the churches I have attended, within whose walls exist a shared beauty, a lived faith, and a powerful history of service, witness, and sacrament. I am grateful to my God who has offered hope when it was not readily felt. My God has come through with love and support when it was not expected. My God has given me the wonderful example of His Son, whose suffering and pain are lessons but whose salvation releases me from my own weakness. I thank God for the strength to continue on in the face of adversity and doubt, for the knowledge of His goodness, and for the blessings He offers in family and friends, in work and in joy. I thank God in gratitude for all that I have been given.
May you feel God’s care and blessing,
Deacon Steve
