Ouch! I cut my finger on the lid of a can of tuna. Sharp edge! I proceeded to the medicine cabinet for some peroxide and a Band-Aid. It was just an easy, normal thing to do—something I just take for granted. Then I heard on the television news how, in the war-torn Middle East, doctors are operating on children by the light of multiple cell phones and are using vinegar as the only available antiseptic.

We all take many things for granted. There are so many daily blessings that we are accustomed to that we don’t even think of them as blessings. Maybe it is time to think again.

In the gospel reading in today’s Mass, (Luke 13:10-17) the woman whom Jesus cured of an 18-year infirmity was able to stand up tall and think again about her life possibilities. Scripture says the first thing she did was glorify God.

We go to Mass weekly, or even daily, and receive the precious Body of Jesus in the Eucharist. Do we really understand what a blessing that is? What an encounter! Do we just take that grace for granted? Do we savor the experience of meeting God’s Son in a truly physical way?

As we pray for peace in this troubled world, let us try to pay attention to all the blessings we experience each day of our lives. It is easy to take everyday gifts for granted.

Let us pray.

How can I truly praise you, Lord?

The best I can do is to pay attention,

   and acknowledge your wonderous actions,

   to find you in all things—-somehow, somewhere, everywhere;

   to call it out: credit where credit is due!

My praise words help to remind me joyfully of who is in charge.

My praise is bursting with thanksgiving.

My heart’s desire should be only what your will sanctions.

I find it hard to understand sometimes,

   but you know that, and you have patience with me.

You are merciful.

Teach me to praise you better and to give you glory in the highest!

Amen.

 

Have you ever noticed how often things happen three times in a row? Sometimes it is on purpose. Sometimes it is by chance. And I suppose sometimes it has to do with when you start noticing and counting. For example, I used to watch a television show about a medical center, and when the “doctors” were moving a patient from a gurney to a bed, they would always say, “On three: one, two, three,” as the lift occurred.

Remember the nursery rhymes and stories with three little pigs, Goldilocks and her three bears, three blind mice, and the three little kittens who lost their mittens? In baseball, three strikes and you are out! There’s the expression: “Three time’s the charm,” which means that success comes on a third try. In Sacred Scripture we read of the Magi, the three astrologers from the Orient. We also read that on the road to Calvary, Jesus fell three times. At Mass we pray, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.” After the consecration, we pray the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God three times.

What got me thinking about all these threes? Well, being retired, my husband and I enjoy going out to restaurants for breakfast, and a lovely “three-time” experience occurred for us in just a week’s time. We were sitting in a small diner and waiting for our food, and I noticed that the two women sitting at a nearby table had just received their breakfasts. Before they ate, they silently joined hands, closed their eyes, and said a brief prayer.

A few days later, we were in a different restaurant and a young couple was sitting near us. When their food came, they joined hands, and each said a silent prayer. In that same restaurant about two days later, a little girl, a man, and an older man were seated at a booth. It seemed as if they were all family members. When their plates of food came, they all quietly said a blessing together before they ate.

What lovely faith witnesses! I hear so much in the media about God being left out of our lives. Three times in one week I saw evidence that that isn’t true! I know they were only short religious pauses in those peoples’ lives, but they were good pauses, and inspirational reminders to anyone who happened to notice.

What if we tried to thank God for our meals, or even our snacks, every day? What if we picked out three specific things each day that we usually take for granted and thanked God for creating them or for creating the inventors or manufacturers or designers?

Just like those thank-you prayers for breakfasts, prayers don’t have to be extremely long. If the prayers are sincere and remind us of who is always there to hear us and love us, then they are valuable. Prayers can be made up on the spot, in our own loving words, and can draw us closer to God and to fellow pray-ers. It can be as easy as 1-2-3!

There are many simple, mundane little jobs we do every day. Why not make those jobs more than chores? I say we should add a little prayerfulness and stir well. Here are some examples, but we all can add or subtract ideas.

 LAUNDRY. As I sort these clothes, O Lord, help me to learn to discern better what things in my life need to be sorted through carefully and, maybe, made better. I am grateful for those favorite clothing items that I enjoy wearing, but as I spray and treat small stains on my clothing, may I resolve to work to remove any habits that sully my relationship with you, my Lord. When I fold and put the clean clothes away, may the Holy Spirit help me to order my life and feel a sense of peace.

 DISHES. Lord, I am thankful for the food that has been on these dishes and in these cups. You have been so generous, Lord, and I don’t always remember to say grace before or after meals.

I think of the cup of wine at the Last Supper that you passed to your apostles after you changed the wine into your blood. You are such a generous Lord, sharing and giving your Body and Blood to us as divine nourishment. May I hold you close and let your love spill out to others.

 COOKING. Lord, I remember your feeding so many followers with just five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. I remember the account of your having breakfast waiting for your apostles when they had finished fishing. Preparing meals is not just about food. Help me to remember that love, care, and camaraderie can be there as well. Bon appetit!

 SWEEPING. Not only am I cleaning and clearing the way for my family and friends, but I am clearing the way for you to work in my life today, Lord. With your help, I will avoid those pesky little temptations that get in my way, and I will use my precious time to spread happiness and love—even in simple, little ways. I will endeavor not to sweep difficult decisions under the rug, but rather to ask the Holy Spirit for inspiration and wisdom.

MAKING THE BED. Good day, Lord! Thank you for comfortable sleep which gives me time to rest and reset. I remember that your infant bed was a manger, and I assume that as you walked various places in your public ministry, you did not have a soft, well-made bed on which to sleep. Help me never to take my comfort for granted. Enlighten me that I may use my well-rested self to bring comfort and consolation to your other children.

  

With the Christmas season winding down, I decided to pack away the nativity scene with its porcelain figurines that had stood on my living room end table. Then my mind took a trip down memory lane. While I did not want to undermine in any way the wonderful significance of the crèche, I could picture the figures looking like my family members and other people from my past life.

I started my piece-by-piece packing with the manger and the Christ Child. I remembered my childhood in the 1950s. My loving parents wanted to be sure the little apple of their eye was warm enough during the winter months in our coal-furnace-heated house, so the second bedroom was closed off, and I shared the warmth of the master bedroom with them. I am sure Mary and Joseph were very mindful of their Infant Jesus’ comfort.

I could imagine a figurine of my mother as I gently wrapped Mary’s little statue in some soft tissue. My mother was a sweet, caring woman who was very protective of her only child. With her ready smile, she could come up with some extremely interesting, imaginative, and amusing stories right off the top of her beautiful head to keep me entertained. She would chuckle as she told them to me as I sat in her warm lap. I wonder if Mary told Jesus little stories. I bet she did!

Jesus had Joseph for protection, so I protected that little father statue very methodically. So many times I have wished that my Dad had not died of a heart attack when I was only 11 years old. I remember most about him his great sense of humor and his handsome smile. Often, I would follow him to the neighborhood corner store as he took a leisurely walk to get the local newspaper. A faithful husband, he was active in town government and a fraternal organization. A very responsible man, as was craftsman Joseph!

I grabbed a shepherd figurine to put into the storage box. I got thinking about the good shepherds in my life. I had some superb teachers who guided me in safe and productive ways through my school years, and even through fun extracurricular activities. I think many of us should take time to be thankful for those nurturing, generous shepherds in our lives! And I remember that the Lord is my shepherd every day!

The three wise men, before they found their nesting place in the box, reminded me of some of the wise people in my life who have gifted me with their advice, intelligence, and encouragement. Coming from many different backgrounds and locations, they inspired me to use my God-given talents. It is good to thank God for those wise people!

Last, but not least, I carefully placed the animals from the stable into the storage box. I thought about the pets whose company I had enjoyed throughout my life. Those cats and my dog, Candy, had comforted me, made me laugh, and taught me about loving. I am reminded how easy it is to take our pets for granted.

So, while the crèche has brought to mind the true joy of Christmas, it has triggered treasured memories of personal past experiences. May we never pack away our gratitude to our Loving God for all the blessings in our lives!

My husband and I go grocery-shopping very early in the morning so that we avoid crowds and try to stay healthy. The other day, as we were driving home from that chore, the sun was about to rise; the colors in the sky—intense reds and pinks against the shades of blue—were gorgeous! We beheld the work of the greatest Artist of all!

And so I am moved to think about some of the wonders of creation and say prayers of thanks and awe to the Creator!

   Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the

   light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called

   the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. (Genesis 1:3-4a)

   And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it

   separate the waters from the waters.” (Gen. 1:6)

  

   God called the dome Sky. (Gen 1:8a )

 I can’t imagine not being able to enjoy the sight of a beautiful sunrise if all we had was darkness. Sure, darkness can make it easier to sleep and, therefore, promote rest for the weary, but light is truly a gift from God. Night can be a time for recouping, rethinking, relaxing, and reviewing our day, perhaps freeing us from some distractions. Light can bring clarity, refreshment, truth, renewal, and hope.

 We look to the sky not only for impressive colors and cloud formations but also as a place for birds to fly. In our busy world, the sky is where jet airplanes fly passengers all around the world, Lifestar helicopters help to bring aid to accident victims, and mail and goods are transported. The sky is where condensation and precipitation meet. The sky is where we look to enjoy celebratory fireworks on festive occasions.

 

This time of year, I like to take rides on country roads and look for little hints of color changes in the trees. I love the season of autumn, especially here in New England,  and usually wait impatiently for stores to start displaying fall-themed products. To me, it is amazing how Creator God has equipped nature with such beautiful colors and the chemistry to realize them. It is all very pleasing to the eye.

But amazement goes a lot farther than color hitting the eye. True amazement cuts to our very core and can be life changing. Jesus, the Creator’s Son, filled many people with awe and amazement and astounded his followers over and over again when he walked among them. His miracles, teaching, and actions captured their rapt attention.

Particularly in the Gospel of Mark we read many examples of how Jesus inspired awe. In at least 13 verses we read words such as astounded, awe, and amazement. In Mark 15:5 we read that even Pilate was amazed.

My question is, do we take the time to be amazed at all the positive realities around us these days? Every time I turn on a newscast, there is mostly bad news, especially related to the pandemic virus and its variants. People’s reactions to limitations and mandates take up so much of their energy and time.

I live in Connecticut and have been known to complain when the summer temperatures get into the 90s and the humidity becomes unbearable. I think many of us are good at complaining about things that annoy us.

Let’s look on the brighter side today. I say it is time to thank God for the gifts he gives us especially, but not exclusively, in the summer. When we think about summer activities such as swimming, playing golf or tennis, enjoying baseball or soccer, we should take time to thank the Lord for our muscles, our eyesight, our coordination, and our strength. Even when we have summer chores to do, such as weeding the garden or mowing the lawn, we have to admit that God is very generous with us. When was the last time we thanked God for the inventions of sunscreen, bug repellant, ice cream, and beach umbrellas?

While vacationing in Maine one summer, I happened got up very early one morning and looked out the window of the motel which overlooked Moosehead Lake. The sun looked like a giant raspberry rising out of the lake. It was a breathtaking sight. God is such an artist!

Summer skies, configured with puffy clouds, delight any of us that take the time to notice! Sure, lately there have been numerous frightening storm clouds, but storms pass, and God gives us new days and new vistas.

I was riding through a residential area that I don’t have occasion to visit often when I noticed a small cross on the side of a house. I thought to myself, what a nice idea! Of course, I don’t know the reason for its being there, but it could be a pleasant little reminder to say a prayer before you go out in the car on an errand, or to pray in thanksgiving at your safe return.

In these days of carefulness about sanitizing, I often go to my kitchen sink as soon as I return from an outing and wash my hands. I grab the plastic bottle of dish detergent, give it a squeeze, and wash for the recommended 20 seconds. Lots of times I will notice some tiny bubbles that come out of the bottle along with the liquid soap; they float in the air all around me for a second or two. Each bubble, self-contained, silently reflecting the sunlight, gently glides through the air. They remind me of the numerous little blessings I take for granted each day of my life. My hands function, I have clean running water, I can smell the lemony fragrance, I can sanitize even though I have happily received my two doses of virus vaccine. Sure, those are small things, but they should not be overlooked.

People are easily reminded of bad events in their lives—a scar on their skin reminds them of an accident; a dent in the car brings to mind the time someone backed into them; a doctor’s bill evokes a recent illness that was not completely covered by insurance. We all encounter such reminders, but we have to try to keep a balance by also noticing the good reminders in our everyday life.

I have heard that when Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address and ended with the part about ”government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” he stressed the word people in each phrase, not the prepositions of, by, and for. I think about that sometimes when, at Mass, we pray:

Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever. Amen.

I like the idea of stressing, in my speech and in my prayer, the word him, and not just the prepositions, through, with, and in. It may seem like a small thing, but it emphasizes just whose invitation for help and guidance we are accepting. We can depend on Jesus. We read in John 14:13-14:

 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

And in John 15:16:

 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.

I have seen plenty of snow over the years here in Connecticut, including the past couple of weeks. After the recent accumulations, several snowmen have appeared, and they got me to thinking about what a Lenten snowman might be like.

The bottom section of such a snowman would have to be a good foundation so that it could hold up the rest of the body. During Lent, we are reminded in the readings at liturgies of many of the truths that are the foundation of our gift of faith concerning the Kingdom of God. For example, in St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (6:2) we read about what God has said:

“‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’  See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!”

 So God’s gift of salvation through Jesus is our firm foundation. We will also be reading about Christ proclaiming Peter as the rock, the foundation, on which Jesus is building his Church (Matthew 16). And in Chapter 6 of Matthew’s Gospel, we receive a wonderful foundational prayer—Lord’s Prayer.