grateful living: A Grateful Yes
Gratitude does not require us to understand the entire journey. Like Mary, we can trust God, thank Him for remaining with us, and take our next faithful step—even when the future is uncertain.
Yellow wildflowers growing among gray rocks in a mountain landscape.
A Thought to Begin
God is so powerful that He can draw good out of any evil. Thanking God in tough times is an act of faith in that promise.
— Inspired by St. Augustine, Enchiridion 11, 3, as referenced in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 311
Scripture
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
— Luke 1:46–47, NABRE
Reflection
It is so easy to thank God for all the beautiful blessings in our lives.
God is good. He has blessed me with so much: good health, a loving spouse, good and kind children, a good job, and a beautiful home.
But when was the last time I thanked God during one of life’s uncertain situations?
What about illness, death, loss, or one of those hardships that simply stops us in our tracks?
I am not saying we should thank God that someone became ill or that someone we love died. We do not have to pretend that our suffering is good or that it does not hurt.
We can, however, thank God for staying with us through it all.
We know He will bring something good from even the most difficult situation.
Our Catholic faith teaches us that difficult and uncertain times can draw us closer to God. These moments help us see how dependent we truly are on God because they remove some of the distractions that get in the way of that relationship.
I have been blessed with the ability to find good in difficult situations.
That does not mean I do not grieve my losses, shed tears during uncertainty, or feel alone in times of darkness.
But somehow, I do not seem to lose hope completely.
I look for God.
Where can I find Him in this situation?
Where is the love?
What brings me a smile?
Where do I see light?
The most difficult time in my life was the death of my baby daughter, Caitlin. She lived a beautiful but very short three months. Her death brought me to my knees.
At face value, how could there ever be anything good in the death of a child?
Caitlin’s death was not good. Losing her was devastating. Yet it has been almost thirty years since Caitlin died, and I can tell you so many stories about how her short life changed the lives of others for the better.
Her life deepened the faith of others.
It changed the direction of people’s lives.
It helped others become more open to God’s invitation to love.
Her life also changed me and deepened my own relationship with God.
God did not take away my grief or make Caitlin’s death good. He stayed with me through my grief and helped me recognize the good that could grow from her beautiful life.
I wonder how Mary felt when the angel Gabriel visited her with news she most likely did not fully comprehend.
Scripture tells us that Mary was greatly troubled. Still, she trusted God and answered with her faithful yes:
“May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Then, shortly afterward, in the presence of Elizabeth and with so much uncertainty about her future, Mary was able to proclaim:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Luke 1:46–47)
Mary did not know how her entire journey would unfold. But she knew God. She trusted Him, thanked Him, and took her next faithful step.
Gratitude does not require us to understand the entire journey.
Like Mary, we can thank God, trust Him, and take the next faithful step—even while the future remains uncertain.
Living a grateful life allows us to find hope in all types of situations. It allows us to see that God is active in our lives. Even during the most difficult times, we can have hope.
It allows us to respond to God with a resounding YES.
Something to Think About…
“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NABRE (one of my favorite verses)
Is there a difficult or uncertain situation in my life where God may be drawing out something good?
Today, I will place this situation in God’s hands. I will thank Him for staying with me and ask for the grace to trust Him as I take my next faithful step.
Love In Action: A love that is lived
Mary’s Visitation shows us that love is more than words. It notices, makes the journey, remains beside another person, and becomes a love that is lived,
White statue of Mary holding the child Jesus beside a leafy plant near a window.
A Thought to Begin
“Goodness works quietly, the power of love is expressed in the unassuming quietness of daily service.”
—St. John Paul II
Scripture
“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste… Mary remained with her about three months.”
—Luke 1:39, 56 (NABRE)
Reflection
I received a beautiful Waterford statue of Mary as a bridal shower gift.
I loved it for its beauty, but at the time I did not yet understand the role Mary would come to play in my life or how deeply I would rely on her love and guidance.
That understanding came later.
After our daughter Caitlin died at three months old, I began turning to Mary in a new way.
Mary knew what it was to love a child completely. She also knew what it was to watch her child suffer and to remain at His side when she could not take that suffering away.
I found comfort in not needing to explain my pain to her. She understood a mother’s love and a mother’s grief. I turned to her daily, praying for the grace to live my life in a way that allowed me to feel not only God’s love, but also the enduring love of my precious daughter Caitlin. In time, this prayer led me to seek ways to reach out to others in love and service.
For many years, I most often pictured Mary standing at the foot of the Cross. Her presence comforted me because she understood both a mother’s love and a mother’s sorrow.
But when I reflect on Mary through the lens of Love in Action, I am reminded of the Visitation.
After receiving life-changing news, Mary did not keep to herself. When she learned that Elizabeth was expecting a child in her old age, she went “in haste” to be with her—to share not only her love, but Jesus.
She did more than speak words of love or promise prayer. She made the journey. She showed up and remained with Elizabeth for about three months.
She showed her love by living it.
What may have seemed like a simple visit was, in truth, an incredible act of love: one woman choosing to be present to another.
Mary has taught me, and continues to teach me, that love in action means going wherever love calls us.
It means offering an extra hand.
It means sharing joy, celebrating with another person, and helping them recognize how deeply they are loved and accepted.
It means staying when we cannot remove another’s pain.
It means listening when there are no words that can bring true comfort or reassurance.
It means praying, sitting quietly, sharing hugs and tears, and reminding someone that they are not alone.
Sometimes we are called to go. Sometimes we are called to stay.
Both are acts of love.
Although the original Waterford statue was later broken, the crystal statue of Mary I have today carries the same meaning. It reminds me not only of Mary’s presence during one of the most painful seasons of my life, but also of the kind of love I hope to live each day.
A love that notices.
A love that is willing to journey.
A love that remains.
A love that is lived.
Something to Think About…
“Today God loves the world through you and through me. Are we that love and that compassion?”
—St. Teresa of Calcutta
How might God be asking me to become His love and compassion for someone today?
Tonight’s Reflection: God, So Here’s What Happened
The Ignatian Examen taught me to look over my day and notice where God was present. Tonight, let’s invite Mary to join us as we bring our joys, struggles, and ordinary moments of our day to her Son.
A Thought to Begin
“Let us ask, at the end of the day… what happened today in my heart?”
—Pope Francis, General Audience, October 19, 2022
Scripture
“Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my thoughts.”
Reflection
My days have become so full that many nights, the moment my head hits the pillow, I am out.
That means I have to make a real effort to spend a little time talking with our Heavenly Father before I fall asleep.
Does your nightly routine include a few quiet moments with Him?
I was fortunate to spend many years working at a Jesuit high school. It was there that I learned the beautiful and powerful practice of the Ignatian Examen.
As an entire school community, we would pause near the end of the day and reflect on where God had been present throughout our day.
Those few quiet moments helped me recognize that God had been there through it all—in the people I encountered, the moments that brought joy, the challenges that tested me, and the ordinary details I might otherwise have missed.
What I came to love about the Examen was that it helped me see my day differently.
Instead of ending the day focused only on what went wrong, I began to notice where God had been present, what brought me joy, what remained in my heart, and where He might be inviting me to grow.
It taught me to ask not:
“God, where were You today?”
But rather:
“God, where did I see You today?”
God is always surrounding us. The Examen helps us pause long enough to recognize Him.
When we first began creating Tonight’s Reflection, I knew the Ignatian Examen would be its foundation.
Still, I felt something was missing.
While working on a special reflection for Mary’s birthday, I realized what it was. I realized that Tonight’s Reflection needed to include Mary.
Choose Joy Always is about opening ourselves to the invitations God places before us and not being afraid to answer with a big yes, as Mary teaches us.
Each night, we invite Mary to join us as we look back over our day and bring it to her Son—with all its joys, successes, laughter, tears, struggles, and moments that could have gone better.
I hope that, with Mary beside us, we will become more open to God’s invitation. That we will learn to return to our yes, no matter how our day unfolded. And that, with her help, we will continue learning how to choose joy every day.
Tonight’s Reflection is guided by the wisdom of the Ignatian Examen, but it follows the Choose Joy Always path.
The complete Tonight’s Reflection prayer can be found in The Prayer Room.
What a beautiful way to end our day—with God and our Blessed Mother beside us. Together, we bring it all to her Son.
And tomorrow, with God’s grace, we begin again with another faithful yes.
Something to Think About…
Before you go to sleep tonight, pause and tell God what happened today.