The first Sunday of Advent falls in November in most years. One church year comes to a close and a new one begins. Holiday plans pick up speed.
For students, end-of-term exams loom large on the horizon, overshadowed only by their anticipation of a long Christmas break.
The shortening days remind us that autumn will soon give way to winter. The harvest is now almost done.
How appropriate that Thanksgiving should fall in the midst of this turning point!
We take time to look back so that we can move forward with the right attitude. A heart filled and motivated by gratitude can face all the challenges and opportunities of a coming year with joy and confidence.
On the last day of October, we offered ourselves to our Lord as a living sacrifice in the form of our pledges for 2011. I want to underscore that, for us followers of Jesus Christ, this is an act of gratitude.
Feeling grateful is a good thing. But feelings are fleeting and, alas, unpredictable. Disciples of Jesus are not satisfied with transitory feelings of gratitude. We seek to embody gratitude in our habitual routines.
This is what St. Paul means when he admonishes us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. When in St. John’s Gospel Jesus speaks of worshipping in Spirit and in Truth, he means not only our behavior in worship services but in our daily lives.
By the time Thanksgiving arrives, most of us will have returned our pledges for 2011. I thank you in advance and pray that God will multiply your blessings. Others are still praying about their pledge, perhaps even taking a deep breath before pledging for the very first time. God bless you!
In any event, I encourage you to consider a spiritual principle that may seem upside down to you. Act and your heart will follow! If we act in a grateful way, our heart’s sense of gratitude will grow.
It is true that we routinely act on the leanings of our heart. And yet it is also true that our heart is tutored by our behavior. A grateful heart is a generous heart. Sometimes the grateful heart needs nurture from grateful actions.
So, in addition to pledging to the work of Christ in your parish home, start looking for opportunities every day to spend yourself for the benefit of others. In addition to giving your treasure, give your patience, your understanding, your forgiveness, your acceptance, and even your smile as if your material and spiritual wealth were boundless.
Come to think of it, as disciples of Jesus Christ, our wealth is boundless. His love for us makes us heirs of all the riches of God’s kingdom. We have more to be grateful for than we will ever have time or energy to show thanks.
Let me conclude on a personal note of gratitude. I am grateful for all of you. Serving as your Dean is one of the great joys of my life. That joy has been increased beyond measure by the love that you show to me and to my family. I give thanks to God every day for you, and I am grateful to be able to praise and serve him together with you.
