Day 2 -- Reversing Directions for a Day

I know that my first post was for the first Sunday of Advent; however, Thanksgiving cannot be left out.

Thanksgiving is around the corner, just two days away.  Like so many others in the world, I have plenty to be grateful for.  

Where God is always first in whom I am most thankful, family is always near the top of the list.  My mother is still a great person.  She continues to be a great example of discipleship for many in our world, but especially for me.  Mom still nurtures my brother and I, and continues to show great love for her grandchildren.  My sister-in-law's family has also been a blessing to us all, after all, as I've told many a couple on their wedding day, it is through the Holy Spirit's bond that not only does the couple become one, but He binds the two families to become one through the couple.  God has done this so incredibly well for us, from both sides of my parents' families, and that larger family continues to grow with new cousins and second cousins.  God is good.

Friends also must be mentioned and acknowledged, past and present.  While I still have days when I weep for the death of my father, Ed Novick (16 years ago), and for my best friend, Rev. Charles Watkins (2 years ago), there are so many others whom God has called home over time that truly were blessings in my life -- bishops, priests, deacons, and laity alike.  I truly miss them all but have the grateful heart to remember one day God will also call me home and there will be great rejoicing.  In that, I think about Rev. George Brown, ordination class of 1948 for the Archdiocese of Chicago, who is the first priest I was old enough to remember at the age of 7.  The years Fr. Brown spent at St. Christopher in Midlothian, IL were very influential to how I learned to be a priest.  I can still see and hear Fr. Brown go over to the ambo to proclaim the gospel.  He was an enormous man (coming from a lad that was under 5 feet tall at 8th grade graduation).  But how he proclaimed with conviction sticks on my heart.  I may not completely emulate his movements, but he was a great example, God rest his soul.  God is good.

While not every day in our world looks perfect, it's good to realize that God is always present and at work.  About seven months after Fr. Watkins died, I had to make a conscious decision to make some new friends.  The trouble was I honestly didn't know where to go or how to go about it.  I had not felt like I ever really had to make new friends.  It always seemed to come naturally.  Bringing that to my spiritual director, he made a couple of suggestions, and following one of those, I have a solid support system who have been just great to get to know.  So grateful?  I am.  God is good.

The supreme thanks needs to be with God the Father in creating me and calling me to be his own.  To the Son of God, Jesus Christ, I am still overwhelmed with emotion when I consider the unfathomable act of sacrificial love for the sake of all humanity.  To the Holy Spirit, I am so blessed to be able to listen and discern how the gifts I have been endowed with will serve the Church hopefully for years to come.  God is SO good!