January 4, 2009
Epiphpany
By the time you read this, the temperatures are supposed to be in the 50’s and Tuesday’s snow will have been reduced to crunchy piles of gray snow at the edges of parking lots.
But right now, it’s glorious. The bright sun in the blue sky makes the snow shine. Our hard-working maintenance crew had labored since 3am to clear all the walkways, and the driveways have been plowed and sanded. The air is clean and crisp -- it’s really a perfect winter’s day.
We’ve just finished celebrating the Feast of Saint Brigid and Lent is still a few weeks away -- certainly not as early as last year. So this is a perfect time to slow down a bit and apreciate what God has given us.
That’s not to say that this is not an anxious time for many. Lots of people have seen their retirement savings shredded in the economic downturn. Many have lost their jobs, and many are worrying about whether their current job will last.
Still, even in the midst of anxiety -- or maybe I should say, especially in the midst of anxiety -- it’s good to slow down and appreciate what God has given us. I’m reminded of the comedy routine where someone’s grandparent tells them, “When I was little, we had to walk to school...six miles...through the snow... uphill....both ways...and we only got a piece of bread to eat and if we were lucky we could wear our cousin’s hand-me-down-clothes...and we LIKED it!” Is it really possible to “like”
(= appreciate) what we have, at a time when we no longer have the money to go out and buy lots of new stuff? Can a simple snowfall cause us to be appreciative of God’s blessings?
At St. Brigid’s we’re are also looking for ways to cut back on expenses because of our growing debt due to the loss of income from our convent building. But I don’t stay awake at night worrying about what we don’t have. I do take a little extra time before I go to bed to appreciate what God has given us in the day we just lived. And always on the top of my list of what I’m thankful for, is you.
