I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. (Ps 9:1)

We live in a time when it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we have ultimate control over lives. By acknowledging that all we are and all we have is gift from God, we put matters into their proper persecutive. It also allows us to cultivate an attitude of graitude – giving thanks for the goodness in our lives to the source of all good, God.

Thus, we have a two-fold task with the young people in our care. Firstly, we need to demonstrate that we are people who are thankful to God – in word and action. Given the normal ups and downs of life, we should be people who shine ‘good news’. Secondly, we need to give our young people opportunities to reflect upon the reasons that they have to be thankful. Service activities and/or immersion programs can bring such a message home quite strongly without us having to preach.

Have a great week!
Patrick