Daily Gospel Reflection for December 4, 2019

Reflection by Colette Lafia Today's Gospel: Matthew 15:29-37 In today’s gospel, we are reminded of the grace of gratitude. Jesus takes the seven loaves and the fish and “after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” Before working such a dramatic miracle, Jesus Himself expresses gratitude! The other day, I was having lunch with a good friend, who was struggling with a recent change in her work situation. During our conversation, she leaned toward me and said, “I noticed that once I turned on the switch of gratitude things began to change -- maybe not outside, but inside, and that has made all the difference.” Gratitude is a disposition of the heart. It’s an inner stance. I invite you to listen to these wise words of my friend, "Once I turned on the switch of gratitude things began to change." Allow gratitude to awaken in your heart, gently, softly, with the ease of a flower opening in the morning light. Awaken the heart to gratitude. The heart is the home where you dwell with God. A wonderful way to awaken gratitude is through recognizing the bounty and gifts of nature, from a flower blooming, to the water we drink, to the body we inhabit, to the air we breathe. Each breath is a gift.