And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you.
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you.
Gratitude begins with our being, and the delightful, gratifying realization that none of this is really necessary. Everything is gift; nothing has to be. Only God is necessary, the rest is contingent.
Therein is our freedom for our only destiny is gratitude, while our path consists of praise, reconciliation, and petition. We may ask whatever we need; for we are not self-sufficient. Only God is sufficient unto himself.
God has created, redeemed, justified, healed, and sanctified us in Jesus Christ freely, without compulsion or necessity, for reasons of God's own goodness.
Unimaginative cynicism might suppose we are created as an experiment or a lark. Indeed as we look at human engineered climate change and the penalties the Earth will exact in coming decades, we might suppose the human race is an experiment gone badly. And the Genesis story of the Fall might confirm that cynicism.
But the persistence of grace we have seen in Jesus of Nazareth, and in his martyrs and saints disprove that attitude. Not to mention our joy and gratitude which are renewed each morning.
Eucharist is gratitude, as are praise, petition, and repentance. In God's own freedom we thank the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for our being here, for our loved ones, for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the roof which shelters us. We thank God for the generous spirit which feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and shelters the homeless.
We thank God for our recognizing the threat of climate change and our readiness to make the necessary adjustments. Since we do not have to be here; and we know the Earth managed quite well without us; and finally, that we are charged with husbanding this earthly garden we set to work.
What should we do? What must we do? Remember the first principle of healing: "Do no harm!"
And thank God at every step.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.