Twenty-First Thursday in Ordinary Time

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have been enriched by God in every way and yet we often take His gifts for granted. He has given us life. He has given us His Beloved Son. He has given us graces and talents. He has given us knowledge, wisdom, and free will. He has given us every spiritual gift we need to grow in faith, hope, and love. He has given us many good things from the moment of our conception and will continue to do so for all eternity if we let Him. He has given us His friendship and wants nothing but the best for us. However, He will not force us to give Him thanks or to accept His gifts. He allows us the freedom to choose between our selfish selves or Him. Hopefully, we'll make the right choice and live our lives in fellowship with Him forever and ever.

Do we give thanks to God for all the blessings He has given us? Are we using our time, talents, and treasures for the glory of God and the good of others? What can we do to become more faithful followers of our most generous God?

O Lord, we thank you for all the spiritual gifts you have given us.

Amen.