St. Julie’s Life of Gratitude
“Live in continual gratitude to the good God.”
Let’s face it. Being and staying grateful is tough. On good days, I can easily breeze through the hours enjoying whatever is before me, often forgetting to offer a quick thanks to our good God who has blessed me so abundantly. On bad days, well, let’s just say that any thought of gratitude goes right out the window.
For St. Julie, gratitude was in her very breath and always on her lips despite great suffering. I have no idea how this is possible, even for a saint. Was she grateful for paralysis? Was she grateful hiding beneath a mound of hay in a rickety old cart as she fled French Revolutionaries intent on killing her?
How did St. Julie do it? She must have been able to find gifts in the crosses she bore. Being bedridden, she was available for the stream of people who came to sit beside her, witness her faith, and soak up her wisdom. Perhaps gratitude welled up in her when a porter and her sixteen-year-old niece risked their lives carrying her out of her house and into the cart.
If we take time to reflect, we might see how our own challenges lead us to deeper faith, soften our hearts, or help us to see the world with kinder eyes. For these, we can be grateful.
Over two-hundred years later, St. Julie’s words continue to proclaim gratitude and encourage us to do the same. Her unwavering faith and trust in God continue to inspire. Following her example, we serve others and ourselves through our Live The Good Opportunities.
If you haven’t participated in a Live The Good Opportunity yet, I hope you will soon. It is more than service. It’s a time to gather with Sisters and others to pray and reflect on what we gain by helping others. Two hours are all it takes to leave you feeling more connected to our good God who is continually present in our lives and each other.
I hope to meet you soon!
Be well. Do good.
Holly Schlaack
Director of Volunteer Engagement