Divine Appeal Reflection - 74
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 74: "Bitter ingratitude has wounded My Heart. What a pain to Me!" The example of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19) is used to emphasize the significance of giving thanks in our daily lives. Jesus, who displayed his greatest kindness and healing to the ten lepers, did not receive a sign of gratitude from the majority of them and only the Samaritan leper, a foreigner to the Jewish nation, showed gratefulness for the great gift he had been given. The tale of the ten lepers, then, is a call to us all to appreciate the countless blessings that Christ has given us. Thanksgiving is a spirit which we can incorporate into our daily lives, but especially after receiving the Holy Eucharist, where we take part in the process of redemption and soothe the wounded heart of Our Savior. Routine prayer, partaking in the sacraments, acts of charity and conscious recalling of the Scriptures are central to growth in our spirituality and recognition of the abundant blessings from God. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, proposed the Examen for daily practice. During the Examen, an individual reviews his or her day, expressing gratitude for the presence of God and His blessings.
Sister Anna Ali's most fervent prayers and supplications taking place after Holy Communion bring one to the realization that she clearly understood that this was a very cherishable moment of gratitude. Having received Jesus into her soul in the Eucharist, Sister Ann Ali would enter into a time of silent adoration and intimate communication with the Lord who was present in her heart. At that moment, there were no restrictions on time, but it was a sacred place where Sister poured out her heart in thanksgiving for the presence of Jesus in her life. This precious moment of silence was the time for her to renew her relationship with God, drawing from Him spiritual consolation and support. That was the period she fell deeply in love with Jesus when being grateful for the everlasting mercy and love of God.
Sister Anna Ali's example demonstrates to us the depth of true meaning of gratitude and, most importantly, post-Communion gratitude as well as adoration of Jesus in our daily life. Selflessly, Sister Anna Ali gave herself to this spiritual practice. We must look at the things we do in our ordinary life in addition to our Eucharist reception with hearts full of recognition, thankfulness and reverence. Let us never forget that in the immeasurable gifts of God's love and compassion we find all that is good and beautiful in this world and offer joyful thanks to Jesus Christ, from whom all these blessings originate and whose love carries us through to eternity. May we echo the words of the psalmist in Psalm 100:4, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; Thank Him and praise His name."
No comments:
Post a Comment