Dear Parishioners,
Over the past few weeks, I’ve celebrated a few birthdays and graduations with family, and I began to think about the whole ritual of giving and receiving gifts.
We are usually quite open to giving gifts, but most of us are reluctant to receive them. Do we readily accept and receive the precious gifts from God—specifically the gift of life? Life is a gift. Life, our very existence, does not originate with us, nor do we will ourselves into being. Creation, itself, is a gift. It is the overflow of love from the eternal love of the Trinity. We cannot demand to exist. All is a free gift. Have we received the gift of life this day? Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not here, all we have is today. Are we receiving this day as a gift from God? Father, thank you for the gift of life. Help me to receive your gift of life today with joy and celebrate it in every circumstance.
God Bless,
Deacon Howard
