Thursday, November 24, 2011

100 Thanks (2011)

For those that aren’t familiar with what has become a Thanksgiving tradition for me, every year I list the 100 things I am thankful for.  It’s fun, it’s introspective, and it reminds us that the heart of the Christian must always be thankful.  This year more than most, this day of thanks takes on special importance.  So in no particular order, here are the 100 things I am thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!

  1. My God
  2. My faith
  3. My priesthood
  4. My father
  5. My mother
  6. My sister
  7. My brother
  8. My brother in law
  9. My best friend
  10. My oldest nephew
  11. My youngest nephew
  12. My unborn nephew
  13. My cousins (all my cousins!)
  14. My extended family
  15. My friends
  16. My parish family
  17. My former parish families
  18. My quiet time with the Lord before the Blessed Sacrament
  19. Celebrating Mass
  20. Preaching
  21. Bringing comfort and anointing to the dying
  22. Bringing a soul back home in confession
  23. Witnessing the union of two souls in marriage
  24. Baptizing a child
  25. Laughing with a joyful child of God
  26. Crying with a mourning child of God
  27. Retreats
  28. My brother priests
  29. The hands that absolve my sins
  30. God's unwavering mercy
  31. Being tired after a long and fruitful day of ministry
  32. My St. Agatha students
  33. My St. Agnes students
  34. My St. Brendan students
  35. My MHOC students
  36. My St. Gregory students
  37. Lunchtime
  38. “Do you know my name?”
  39. My students' Thanksgiving lists!
  40. Random phone calls and texts from any of my former students
  41. Teachers
  42. Firefighters/Paramedics
  43. Our military
  44. Doctors and nurses
  45. Sign Language Interpreters
  46. The gift of speaking
  47. The gift of listening
  48. My health
  49. My faults
  50. Days off
  51. Hot water
  52. Home cooked meals
  53. Electricity
  54. WiFi
  55. No hurricanes
  56. Vacations
  57. Captiva
  58. Fishing
  59. Trips to the Key
  60. Stay-cations
  61. Phone calls from Connecticut
  62. The little girl (Eeeeeeagle!)
  63. Godchildren
  64. Compadres (i.e. my godchildren's parents)
  65. Visits from former parishioners (especially unexpected ones)
  66. Long talks with good friends
  67. Lunches at diners
  68. Scrubs reruns
  69. Seinfeld reruns
  70. Chuck
  71. Parks and Recreation
  72. Of Gods and Men
  73. Three game winning streaks
  74. Standing with the U
  75. Pinstripes
  76. Opening Day with my father
  77. Undeservedly being called Father
  78. Almost 10 years of priesthood
  79. Consecration
  80. Special rosaries
  81. Prayers from my mother
  82. Wisdom from my father
  83. Spoiling my sister
  84. Pride in my brother
  85. Rare moments that we're all under the same roof
  86. Naps
  87. Peaceful silence
  88. Sunsets
  89. The sounds of the ocean
  90. The comfort of Scripture
  91. The parable of the Prodigal Son
  92. The writings of Henri Nouwen
  93. The writings, life, and example of Blessed John Paul II
  94. The countless prayers of parishioners
  95. The intercession of Blessed Mother Teresa
  96. The intercession of my Blessed Mother
  97. The unconditional love of my family
  98. Miracles great and small
  99. My father’s health
  100. Being able to bow my head this Thanksgiving day with my father, my family, and my friends to say “Thank you, Lord!”