Gratitude

Each day I am more grateful for all that I received from my stay at Oakwood. I would love to be able to write to each to thank for the prayer, the notes, the many acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that made me happy to be there even while I was desiring to be back in my own community. This week I am sending many notes and also hoping to write a few in Spanish for my friends in Chile. I find writing notes part of my ministry now as we all are trying to spread the joy of the Gospel. Of course, I also reach out to many through e-mail, but I think some of my friends prefer notes and some are not even using a computer.

There was an elderly Religious when I was a young nun who never missed an opportunity to thank. She thanked someone for the least service. In fact, she thanked for everything. Her spirit of gratitude is what I most remember, but she was famous for being the first Religious of the Sacred Heart to receive a doctorate in Physics, I think, and I do not know how many honors she won through her brilliant teaching. I am glad I remember her as the one who always thanked for everything! My preparation for the Feast of the Sacred Heart seems to have become one of gratitude. Gratitude for my vocation, for my family, friends, the wonderful experiences that I have had, my ministries that have been wonderful and varied - I began teaching first grade and managed to teach every grade up through post-masters! I also spent many years in formation work and loved giving directed retreats and then and now forming base communities or spirituality groups. I know I have been marked by my twenty years in Chile and I am so grateful!