DIVINE LENTEN 2015 WEEKLY VIDEO REFLECTION NO.6: "LEARN TO APPRECIATE GOD'S DAILY BLESSINGS TO YOU" by Rev. Fr. Michael Payyapilly V.C.

How many blessings do you have in your life? Have you ever counted how many blessings you have and have had throughout your lives. Have you ever truly thought about what God does in and through you?

The sixth video of the 7-part DIVINE LENTEN 2015 WEEKLY VIDEO REFLECTION SERIES at the top of this post is "LEARN TO APPRECIATE  GOD’S DAILY BLESSINGS TO YOU” by  Rev. Fr. Michael Payyapilly V.C.,Director - Divine Retreat Centre, Somersby, NSW, Australia. With holy precision, Fr. Michael pinpoints what many people (Catholics included!) are guilty of – taking for granted the blessings and Goodness of God which is in our daily lives. “We are all people who have been blessed by Jesus. We have been blessed a lot. Every tiny little thing that we have received in life is a blessing from God.”

“Sometimes it is difficult for us to recognize these blessings. Some of us say we are blessed only when we have ‘big’ blessings e.g. a job promotion. If I was sick and came for a retreat and got healing, I consider that a big’ blessing. Many of us are so obsessed with these ‘big’ blessings that we fail to see or appreciate the daily blessings that God gives us.”

Fr. Michael shares, “Sometimes you try to ask people what their blessings are and they are struggling! They are struggling to say what their blessings are! If you have all your fingers and toes, it is a blessing. Do you know you cannot walk without toes? They are so tiny but you can’t walk without them.“ We take it for granted these small blessings God gives us. So we are always complaining about what we don’t have Instead of thanking the Lord with gratitude for what we have.”

“If we don’t appreciate the blessings God gives us, we will have a tendency to complain about what we don’t have and compare our lives to what others have. All the time, our orientation is to what others have! When we get obsessed with that, then we will have the desire to get what others have. And to get what others have, we will do anything on the face of the earth."

“We are all people who have been blessed by God in different measures – each and every one of us! Learning to appreciate the blessings you have will stop you from desiring the blessings that others have.”

Father asks each of us - “When is a blessing called a blessing?” More importantly, “Brothers and Sisters, are you a stealer of blessings?”

This wisdom-filled sharing of Fr. Michael challenges every Catholic to take a good hard look into our lives and of how much we have taken for granted what Jesus has done and is doing for us! Have we truly thanked Jesus with gratitude for the daily blessings in our lives?  It is time to start as of today…

Next Sunday, in the final video of the DIVINE WEEKLY LENTEN 2015 Series, Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C., Director of Divine Retreat Centre Muringoor, Kerala, India, will be sharing the Word of God on "SUFFERING - A SHARING OF THE CROSS OF JESUS”.

Please do share this Divine Lenten 2015 Weekly Video Reflection series with your loved ones, prayer groups and friends to make this sacred season of Lent a truly meaningful one.