The attitude of gratitude
My dearly beloved St. Brendan family, a couple of weeks ago I wrote in our bulletin about the ice bucket challenge and how we could use it to challenge one another’s faith. Just few weeks after, another challenge chain has emerged on the social media. For me, it is terrific. It is called the gratitude challenge. The most amazing thing about this gratitude challenge is the fact that it reminds us that all we have and are thankful for comes from God. No single person in this challenge so far has credited his reason of thankfulness to himself or to any other thing but exclusively to God.
My auntie called me on Friday and extended this gratitude challenge to me. She said I should give seven reasons to be grateful to God, and I said I would do it in our parish bulletin, which she accepted.
Here are my reasons for gratitude:
One year in St. Brendan: 9/22/2014 was exactly one year since I have been in St. Brendan Parish. I had a lot of mixed feelings when I was asked to come here. I was glad that I was going to meet new people and encounter a new culture but I
was also sad that I was leaving my comfortable zone, leaving my Mom and friends but the grace of God has helped me
to find so much meaning of my being here in St. Brendan that the year went by so fast. It seems like three months to me. God, I thank you.
The people of St. Brendan: in the parishioners of St. Brendan I have met and now belong to an amazing family. Your warm heartedness, your kindness and prayers have made me very at home here and now I refer to St. Brendan as a “home-away-from – home”. God , I thank you for the people of St. Brendan.
The School community: another amazing community is the school, the principal, faculty, and students. They are a wonderful gift to me. Having the opportunity to be a witness of faith to the faculty and students and to share this faith with them brings a lot of hope for the future Church. God, I thank you.
Fr. Daniel Nascimento: From the day Fr. Dan picked me up at the airport till today he has proven to be one of the kindest persons I have ever met. So gentle and humane. I was assigned to work with Fr. Dan as his parochial Vicar but he turned me not only into a friend but a brother. His parents adopted me as their son and his niece and nephews call me “Uncle Theo”. I cannot thank God enough for bringing Fr. Dan in my life at the time and moment he did. God, I thank you.
Fr. Ted Magpayo: Fr. Ted has continued where Fr. Dan stopped. We are having a good time in the rectory and apart from our good working relationship, we are fast becoming friends as we share meals together and sometimes go out to dinner together. I thank God for his humility. God, I thank you.
The Parish Staff: they have been so gentle with me and ready to help me at all times. They have been very instrumental in my smooth transition. God, I thank you for the parish Staff.
My vacation: it was very sweet to see my Mom again and to eat Mama’s food again and to spend time with her loving and feeling loved. But I am most thankful that she is able to cope well with my absence but not only that, also that she is
happy and grateful that I am a missionary.
Now I pass on this challenge to you the reader who has this bulletin in your hand to give seven reasons why you are grateful to God, using any means like social Media i.e. Facebook etc. This challenge is helping to remind people that God is the fount and source of all blessing and not our efforts.
Pray for me as I make my may to Santa Barbra for the cultural orientation program for international ministers at Loyola Marymount University.
October is the month dedicated to our mother Mary, I encourage you to pray the rosary daily and teach your children how to pray the rosary too and also participate in the rosary rally on October 11th. May our mother Mary cover us with her mantle of love and may her powerful intercessions always help us.
Fr. Theo
