Giving Thanks

The men of Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Men's Ministry would like to wish you and your families a holy and happy Thanksgiving.

Our Thanksgiving meditation is excerpted from the web page of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, the monastic community founded by John Michael Talbot. The community suffered a devastating fire in 2008, and the struggle to rebuild and carry on with their various outreaches continues. God has not abandoned them, and instead has visited upon them a renewed conviction in the work He has called upon them to carry forward. John Michael's Thanksgiving message can be found in it's entirety at the site, as well as news on the fire, the rebuilding, and information on the communities work and life.

"The bible says that we are what we think. If we think good things we are better people, and do good things. If we think negative thoughts we are negative people, and accomplish far less then what we would otherwise.

Scripture also says that we enter into God's presence through either repentance, or thanksgiving and praise. Repentance turns us from an unhealthy sorrow to a healthy sorrow that leads us from the negativity of sin to the positive joy of forgiveness. Praise and thanksgiving are positive thoughts that stir up the Spirit of God in our life. This makes us grateful for even the smallest blessings in life. This is all a choice. We can choose whether or not to repent of sin, or to be grateful.

In effect we either see the glass as half full or half empty. Those who see it as half full do not deny that we need to work to fill the glass, but they remain positive and therefore productive in filling it. Those who see it as half empty lose sight of the part that is half full, become sad and despondent, and unable to do anything to fill the rest of the glass.

This Thanksgiving let's remain filled with an attitude of gratitude to God and to people. Then we can respond to today's very real troubles in a way that can really make life better for everyone and for us. I believe that this is God's challenge, and God's will for us in these times." John Michael Talbot