We have entered the New Year, 2016.Could it be we spent the last day 2015 reflecting on all that the past brought to us and were in the space of feeling blest that we are alive to start this new journey 2016 with a sense of hope and gratitude? To have the grace of gratitude is to be blessed with the virtue of heartfelt thanksgiving. It really is the dividing line in human society- and in each human heart. The grateful person is thankful for everything he has received and therefore can open his/ her heart to others.
New Year day is an occasion to reinforce this radical virtue in a dramatic way just as we would do it on a thanksgiving day. The gratitude we feel makes us see the good. When we are grateful we can do wonders and we also acknowledge that we are indebted, that we receive more than we deserve
The reason for ingratitude is our failure to realise that all we have, comes from God and not due to any merit of our own. Sheer selfishness is at the root of all ingrate hearts. We see this played out in our dramatic ways in our country. How far have we gone as a community in guarding what is mine –and protecting in from people perceived as a threat.
Ironically we have become fearful of the weakest and most defenceless members of the society –the minority, the discriminated fairer see despite her skills and qualifications, domestic workers, the unborn child, the terminally ill and the aged. We have witnessed this even among the rich developed countries despite their being showered with more material things than other developing countries in the world.
Our lack of gratitude comes when we think that things revolve around us; we even view God as one more object out there orbiting us. We need to recognize the truth – which God is the centre and everything we have comes from Him, all our religions believe this.
When we attribute all to the Devine our stance is simply one of gratitude and our lives burst forth in love and service to our neighbour , our country and those in need, the weak ones of our society and becomes a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God very much like the saints, to mention one, Mother Teresa who will be canonized this year and will have the honour of being numbered among the saints in the church, says that her whole life can be summed as an expression of gratitude to God So can our life be an expression of gratitude… specially that we have been taken care of by the Devine in many ways
The grace of gratitude cannot only make us positive and radiant with a sunny disposition in life but can help us scale the heights of being good human beings and good members of our Society, Our Goa. Happy New Year! To all you good people!
