17th. Gratitude: finding the treasure of God

When we go over Mt. Rose pass, near the top are the almost pristine, granitic rocks that make up the core of the mountains. Beautiful rocks to look at. Kind of like the rock we would use for our countertops. As a geologist looking for gold, those rocks would not be given too much looking at. God would be in the ugly rock, the broken rock, the altered rock, the rock with lots of reds, yellows; the fractured rock filled up with silica. That was where the treasure could be. Even then it would take a lot of effort to get that treasure.

What do we all search for? What do we truly desire? Who do we want to be? These are ancient questions we humans have asked of ourselves for eons. For some, the answers may be superficial: search for jobs, status, influence. Some search for deeper meaning; love, relationships, security. Even deeper people seek a sense of self; sense of understanding of the universe.

A related question I also get from people…how do I deepen my relationship with God? How do I find God?

God, and faith in God, as Jesus teaches us, is that treasure, it is that pearl. Faith in God and living in that faith teaches us a deep wisdom of ourselves, this world. As Jesus says, it brings the fullness of life.  And that faith, that treasure, is not accidentally encountered..each of these parables has the person searching, taking action.

And to discover God, one of the best tools is gratitude. And the best place to search, the messiness and brokenness of life. 

Gratitude means to search in our daily lives for the presence and action of God.
Gratitude means to consciously take the time to discern through all that has happened and to select out those moments of God how God inspired us to do something good, or others to do good for us.

We need Jesus for this. As we say, Jesus leads us to the Father. Jesus helps us to recognize God. Jesus teaches us really where God is at work; whenever there is healing, welcoming, forgiving, compassion; God is at work wherever there is self-surrender for the good of others, wherever people are lifted up,

So we discern those moments in which we were shown compassion and forgiveness, and also those moments we were inspired to be compassionate and merciful; and we give thanks.

We discern God in those moments in which we were welcomed and received; shown hospitality; and also those moments in which we were inspired to be hospitable, patient and kind. We give thanks.

We can be grateful for those moments in which someone gave of themselves, put themselves out for us; and those moments too when we gave of ourselves to help someone else.
Gratitude makes us sift the busy-ness, the chaos of our daily lives and helps us to make sense.

Even becoming grateful for some of the “bad” things or the messy things that happen in which we learn a little more of ourselves, and we desire to change.

Eucharist means thanksgiving, gratitude. We as Catholics are called to be a Eucharistic People, we are in the midst of the Eucharistic Renewal: this is way more than an adoration/benediction; more than a prayer after communion. It is more than piety.

It is the attitude of Gratitude. It is rediscovering God’s work within us and our world, transforming us and the world, just as the bread and wine become something more; becoming the very person of Jesus. It is finding that treasure in the mundane, the normal; the pearl in those moments of tribulation; and in the moments of deepest joy and happiness. It is discovering God with us, always; guiding us to become ourselves in the purest sense. It is realizing that God, who is all compassionate, all loving, never abandons us, but remains with us even in our most darkest of moments; even in our worst of behaviors.

As we begin to experience this, life is changed.

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