One of the most important points St. Ignatius makes is the necessity for a healthy spiritual life to be grounded in gratitude. That is why the twice-daily examen (noon and bedtime) always begins with an act of gratitude for a specific thing. I think it is also important to begin the day with gratitude, no matter how you feel and no matter how unpleasant the day ahead appears to be. So, I've taken to beginning the day by thinking of ten things for which I am grateful before I do anything else. For instance, today my list included:
- The beautiful snow
- Sleeping in until 7:00
- The Latin language
- The Word of God
- Our seven children
- Our house and yard
- The old 1980s journal of mine that my wife found in the garage yesterday
- My morning cup of coffee
- Classics
- My twenty minute walk to work in the woods
Some of these I will repeat day after day; others will be different each day.
1 comment:
Wonderful post! Did Kathy tell you that she and I just had a chat about gratitude a few hours ago?? Had you told her of your post today? Love the "ordinary moments" post, too. So true.
M.E.
Post a Comment