A Letter From Our Pastor: This Is the New Year’s Resolution I Am Most Grateful For

Dear Parish Family,

It was December of 2019 and I was on the hunt for a new car. I walked into the showroom of a Chevy dealer where a friend of mine worked sales. Before I could start a conversation about vehicles, she reached under her desk and handed me a quart jar. “What’s this for?” I asked. “You write down the things you are grateful for and put them in the jar,” she said. The analytical side of me immediately sized up the jar to see how many blessings it might hold. I didn’t end up buying a Chevy, but I started a new habit that would prove far more valuable.

Every Saturday, I flip through my journal and review the past week. I notice the blessings I received and the burdens I experienced. I notice where Jesus was present and whether I have been walking closer or farther from Him. Then I write down the biggest blessing, or the thing I am most grateful for, and I put that in the jar. At the end of the year I dump out the jar and review all my blessings. It’s a delightful rediscovery.

We think of gratitude as a feeling. In reality, gratitude is a habit. Any professional sports player will tell you that you must play with a short memory. If I miss a pass and really blow something, I need to give myself the chance to start fresh the next time. The more I let those mistakes pile up in my mind, the harder it will be to play well. I will feel the burden of my failures. When playing the game of life, gratitude gives me the chance to get that fresh start. I start my day by naming five things I am grateful for. It’s even more important to start the new year with gratitude. Here at the beginning of 2023, give yourself the gift of a Gratitude Jar.

I am incredibly grateful that Lisa McArdle will be the speaker for our annual Stewardship Retreat. She is the co-founder of Catholic Stewardship Consultants and the author of the book, Stewardship Starts at Home . She gave a great talk at the Msgr. Thomas McGread Stewardship Conference this summer. I couldn’t believe our luck when we landed her as our parish speaker. She has a great message that will really resonate with families. Come hear her for yourself on Jan. 21. You won’t be disappointed.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Joel Sember, Pastor

Fr. Joel Sember, Pastor