Catechism Corner | Why Gratitude?

Let us ask why is gratitude necessary.

Cicero, the famous Roman senator and orator once wrote, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." Gratitude is a rare virtue indeed. It's part of a healthy spiritual life. It's everywhere in the Bible, from the Psalms 100:4"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" Psalm, to the Gospel of Luke (17:1-19) where Jesus cured the 10 lepers — and only one returned to thank him and praise God.

Gratitude is the ability to express our thankful appreciation in word or deed, to the person whose words or actions have benefited us in some way. The truly humble and noble person will always be grateful for the benefits received. Ingratitude is an ugly sin.

How can the virtue of gratitude be acquired?

Fundamentally, cultivating the spirit of gratitude requires us to develop humility. We need to understand that everything that we have and everything that we are is a gift.

Let us making a list of all of the wonderful gifts that we receive each day of our entire life. We could start with life. We have been given the gift of life. Consider the air that we breathe. We take such things as air, water and even good health all for granted. We need to consider our families, the houses that we live in, the food that we eat each day, our education, our jobs, and the fact that we live in a free country.

Once we consider the obvious gifts that we have received, we can go deeper. Take into consideration all that God has done for us. He loves us unconditionally. We have the Catholic Church, the Bible and the Sacraments. We can all remember how a Catholic priest inspired us in a homily, gave us an encouraging word in Confession.

We need to understand that we have received so much. Should we not always be grateful? The virtue of gratitude can be expressed in very simple ways. We should always express our gratitude. The phrase "thank you" should be a common part of our daily vocabulary.

The French philosopher Jacques Maritain once said that "Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy." He is correct and it is important that we acquire good manners and social graces. The loss of morals and common decency has caused the gentleman and the lady to be something of the past.

The virtue of gratitude is very important. However, it is equally important that we serve others with a spirit of detachment. We must not look for recognition or earthly glory. We must continue to love others without seeking anything in return. Let us remember what Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount: "your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6: 3). Nevertheless, the Gospel calls us to give of ourselves unconditionally and seek as our only reward eternal life in heaven. This is true Christianity. The standard of greatness for Christianity is not earthly glory, but the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Gratitude is a rare virtue indeed. We need to be filled always with gratitude for God's unconditional love. We need to always thank all those who serve us and love us with their generous service. The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness." (St. Gianna Beretta Molla)

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.