Give Thanks to the Lord

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

In His revelations to St. Margaret Mary in the late 1700’s, Jesus complains to her, “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it spared nothing, even going so far as to exhaust and consume itself to prove to them Its love. And in return I receive from the greater part of men nothing but ingratitude by the contempt, irreverence, sacrileges and coldness with which they treat Me”. But then so typically of His great compassion Jesus adds: “If only they would make Me some return for My love, I should think but little of all I have done for them and I would wish – if possible – to suffer still more for them. But the only return they make for all My eagerness to do them good is to reject Me and treat Me with coldness. Do thou at least console Me by supplying for their ingratitude as far as you are able.”

The simple act of our thanking the Lord for all He has done for us by His tremendous suffering in the passion and on the cross would open up for us from the Heart of Jesus a new flood of grace and blessings! “I would think but little of all I have done for them and I would wish to do still more for them!” 

We should certainly apply this principle also to the myriad ways He blesses each one of us in our daily lives with countless, and too often unrecognized, graces and blessings. A simple act of thanksgiving to the Lord for His love and mercy, His grace, and His help in all the circumstances of our lives would be first and foremost an act of justice, for it is “right and just to give Him thanks always and everywhere” as the liturgy teaches us. For as Our dear Lord says, He would think little of all He has already done and do still more for us! 

Jesus longs for our love in return for loving us first and “to the end” as St. John comments in his Gospel at the beginning of the Last Supper. Our simple giving of thanks to Him for His love and sacrifice and generosity to us is an effective and real way to return His love! The more we offer our gratitude and appreciation, the more He will do for us. So let us, as far as we are able, show gratitude to the Lord for His many blessings to us and to all mankind.