Thanksgiving for all
Talking to somebody recently we discussed Americans ! It’s a fairly wide ranging and random sort of topic, but to generalise incredibly, we decided that a quality that many of them displayed was optimism about life – and optimism is a wonderful quality… Of course, on the reverse side of that, some people see that optimism as arrogance !
But today I want to focus more on optimism and particularly optimism about life… And this sort of optimism was something wonderfully displayed in our gospel reading this morning (Luke 1:46-55) as Mary praised God in the words we have come to know as the Magnificat – My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour… and she goes on to recognise the wonderful blessings he has given her, and others – particularly the poor, the weak, those in need of mercy…
If we weigh up how Mary may have felt when she heard she was to give birth to a child, not fathered by her intended husband, we would have thought her response may well not have been one of joy and praise ! Life was about to get really complicated – the explanations over the child, the concern over whether Joseph would accept her, the disgrace that she may have to endure; and this was before the child would grow up and be so publically taunted and humiliated, and then killed…
Her thoughts may well have been thoughts of misery, doubt, even refusal to follow God’s will – but instead she praised… And she praised because she knew that above all things and all worries and all concerns, God was in control.
Mary was a young girl plucked from seeming obscurity to mother the child that would become the person that would change the world forever… And she recognised the incredible blessing that that was. And that person who has changed the world forever, Jesus, continues to change the world, and our lives.
We learn very little about Mary through the rest of her life, but what we do know is that she remained with her son throughout his earthly life – through every pain, through every complication, she remained loyal and loving…
Life for us all will contain ups and downs – no life is perfect, but the example of Mary is that we can all recognise where to look for hope… In times of crisis a favourite expression of some people trying to offer comfort is ‘you don’t know how lucky you are’ – and they may go on to tell you that around the world there are millions starving, millions suffering as a result of wars, millions suffering from serious illness, or as a result of incredible poverty – looking at the news confirms all of these things, but Mary never had to consider others to recognise how blessed she was.
The problems of others can never replace in us a thanksgiving for what we have ourselves – and that thanksgiving isn’t about material things we have, it isn’t about riches we’ve achieved or success we may have obtained – it is about recognising where it comes from…
‘Life is what we make of it’ may be an incredibly glib statement, but it is actually incredibly accurate. We are called to be people who are living our lives filled with joy – not joy that leads us to smile all the time, or even expect no problems, but a joy that recognises a hope and a person that can and will ultimately triumph over any problem –I heard of someone recently who said, ‘Where I come from the glass is not half empty or half full, but you’re just wondering where the glass is’…
Our lives can be filled with hope and confidence just as Mary was and for the same reason – because we know that ultimately, however painful some of our experiences may be, we will get through them, trusting in God as our support, our strength and our guide…
And some people will ask where is God in the tougher times, but actually it is there that he is closest, and what we need to do is trust and rejoice, because of that fact… the Bible tells us that there is nothing that can ever separate us from his love – and that is a truth which we can cling to in whatever situation….
There’s a well known story about a person having a dream that they had gone to heaven. An angel was showing them around and they went into a large room filled with angels and the angel guide said this is the ‘receiving section’. Here all the petitions said to God are received. They then moved to another part that was really busy, and the angel guide said, ‘this is the packaging and delivery section. Here the graces and blessings that people ask for are processed and delivered.’
Then they came to another section with only one angel and the angel guide said ‘this is the acknowledgement section – and after the people receive their blessings very few send back acknowledgements. The person asked the angel guide how people can acknowledge blessings, and the guide replied, ‘it’s simple, Just say “Thank you Lord”’.
Joys we have in our lives outweigh sadness – and they do that because relationships are the things that bring us both so often – whatever sadness or problems a good relationship can bring can never outweigh the joy and love of being with a person or having known a person…
And that joy and that love is to be mirrored in our relationship with God, the creator and provider of all that we are…
There is a legend that St Jerome, who lived in a cave in Bethlehem for many years was visited by the Christ child and talked with him. Jerome asked ‘What may I give to you O Christ child ?’ And the holy child replied, ‘I need nothing but that you should sing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill”.’ But Jerome persisted, ‘I would give you gifts, money.’ ‘No’ repeated the child. ‘I need no money, give it to the poor for my sake. Thus you shall be giving to me’…
May we above all things recognise the joy and hope of a life lived in love with God – and may we praise him and offer our thanks every day for every blessing we receive. AMEN
But today I want to focus more on optimism and particularly optimism about life… And this sort of optimism was something wonderfully displayed in our gospel reading this morning (Luke 1:46-55) as Mary praised God in the words we have come to know as the Magnificat – My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour… and she goes on to recognise the wonderful blessings he has given her, and others – particularly the poor, the weak, those in need of mercy…
If we weigh up how Mary may have felt when she heard she was to give birth to a child, not fathered by her intended husband, we would have thought her response may well not have been one of joy and praise ! Life was about to get really complicated – the explanations over the child, the concern over whether Joseph would accept her, the disgrace that she may have to endure; and this was before the child would grow up and be so publically taunted and humiliated, and then killed…
Her thoughts may well have been thoughts of misery, doubt, even refusal to follow God’s will – but instead she praised… And she praised because she knew that above all things and all worries and all concerns, God was in control.
Mary was a young girl plucked from seeming obscurity to mother the child that would become the person that would change the world forever… And she recognised the incredible blessing that that was. And that person who has changed the world forever, Jesus, continues to change the world, and our lives.
We learn very little about Mary through the rest of her life, but what we do know is that she remained with her son throughout his earthly life – through every pain, through every complication, she remained loyal and loving…
Life for us all will contain ups and downs – no life is perfect, but the example of Mary is that we can all recognise where to look for hope… In times of crisis a favourite expression of some people trying to offer comfort is ‘you don’t know how lucky you are’ – and they may go on to tell you that around the world there are millions starving, millions suffering as a result of wars, millions suffering from serious illness, or as a result of incredible poverty – looking at the news confirms all of these things, but Mary never had to consider others to recognise how blessed she was.
The problems of others can never replace in us a thanksgiving for what we have ourselves – and that thanksgiving isn’t about material things we have, it isn’t about riches we’ve achieved or success we may have obtained – it is about recognising where it comes from…
‘Life is what we make of it’ may be an incredibly glib statement, but it is actually incredibly accurate. We are called to be people who are living our lives filled with joy – not joy that leads us to smile all the time, or even expect no problems, but a joy that recognises a hope and a person that can and will ultimately triumph over any problem –I heard of someone recently who said, ‘Where I come from the glass is not half empty or half full, but you’re just wondering where the glass is’…
Our lives can be filled with hope and confidence just as Mary was and for the same reason – because we know that ultimately, however painful some of our experiences may be, we will get through them, trusting in God as our support, our strength and our guide…
And some people will ask where is God in the tougher times, but actually it is there that he is closest, and what we need to do is trust and rejoice, because of that fact… the Bible tells us that there is nothing that can ever separate us from his love – and that is a truth which we can cling to in whatever situation….
There’s a well known story about a person having a dream that they had gone to heaven. An angel was showing them around and they went into a large room filled with angels and the angel guide said this is the ‘receiving section’. Here all the petitions said to God are received. They then moved to another part that was really busy, and the angel guide said, ‘this is the packaging and delivery section. Here the graces and blessings that people ask for are processed and delivered.’
Then they came to another section with only one angel and the angel guide said ‘this is the acknowledgement section – and after the people receive their blessings very few send back acknowledgements. The person asked the angel guide how people can acknowledge blessings, and the guide replied, ‘it’s simple, Just say “Thank you Lord”’.
Joys we have in our lives outweigh sadness – and they do that because relationships are the things that bring us both so often – whatever sadness or problems a good relationship can bring can never outweigh the joy and love of being with a person or having known a person…
And that joy and that love is to be mirrored in our relationship with God, the creator and provider of all that we are…
There is a legend that St Jerome, who lived in a cave in Bethlehem for many years was visited by the Christ child and talked with him. Jerome asked ‘What may I give to you O Christ child ?’ And the holy child replied, ‘I need nothing but that you should sing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill”.’ But Jerome persisted, ‘I would give you gifts, money.’ ‘No’ repeated the child. ‘I need no money, give it to the poor for my sake. Thus you shall be giving to me’…
May we above all things recognise the joy and hope of a life lived in love with God – and may we praise him and offer our thanks every day for every blessing we receive. AMEN
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