Daily Meditation for April 23, 2024

Some days, when things are not going well, it’s easy to get discouraged and caught up in negative feelings. We do have times when our plans are frustrated, when we can’t seem to accomplish our goals, when we are misunderstood and not recognized for our good intentions. The only way to save such a day from becoming a disaster is to refocus. We can always count our blessings. We have so much to be grateful for. We are alive. We are blessed with friends and family. We always have ways to be of service to others. We have meaning in our lives. And our response is simply gratitude. We give thanks for all the gifts we have received from our all-loving God. G. K. Chesterton says it all: “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Gratitude can help when a “bad” day threatens.

By Margaret Michaud, OSB