Two old friends bump into each other on the street one day. One of them is on the verge of tears. His friend asks, "What has the world done to you, my old friend?" The other sad fellow says, "Three weeks ago, an old uncle of mine died, and he left me forty thousand dollars."
"That's a lot of money."
"But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin of mine I never knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand free and clear."
"Sounds like you've been blessed"
"You don't understand!" he interrupted. "Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million."
Now he was really confused. "Then why do you look so glum?"
"This week nothing."
Strange as it may sound, that's about how grateful most of us are to God who has given us much more than those sums of money. From the first cell in my mother's womb, God has blessed me. Everything I enjoy is at his favor. And I don't say thank you nearly enough.
It seems that many of the things that irk us in life are really things we should be thankful for: (from and Internet source)
For the lady behind me in church who sings off key - because it means I can hear;
For all the complaining I hear about the government - because it means we have freedom of speech;
For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing - because it means I have a home;
For the clothes that fit a little too snugly - because it means I have enough to eat;
For the mess to clean after a party - because it means I have been surrounded by friends;
For the taxes I pay - because it means I am employed;
For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes - because it means she is at home, not on the streets.
For these past few weeks of adorable sunshine, heavenly clouds and the fall glory all around us, let us give thanks. Let us go back on Sunday morning to the Lord in a public or Eucharistic (a word which means thanksgiving) celebration.
To borrow a thought from Fr. Nestor Gregoire's Thanksgiving homily: from the rising of the sun on my left to the setting of the sun on my right, from the first quickening in my mother's womb to my last breath, from the alpha to the omega, let me be thankful to God who has given me everything.
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men!" (Psalm 107:8)
