How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder” – G.K. Chesterton

Scripture Text: (PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4)
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

“Those who have never been told of him shall see and those who have never heard of him shall understand.” (Rom 15:14-21) I love this last line from the Romans passage in today’s first reading at Mass. There is such promise and hope within it. Before Jesus, only a small group of people knew of God’s love and no one had yet received salvation. All of this changed when Jesus came. Because of His love, I am free. If not for Jesus, each of us would be just like those described in the passage, never seeing and never hearing, living our lives without hope. But, how blessed we are to know of Jesus, to hear and understand His word.

Today, I have no new observations or interpretations of the readings. Today, I only have gratitude that God would send His Son to die for me, so that I can have hope. There are days when I struggle and fail and days when I don’t understand what is going on in the world around me. The one thing that I can always count on is my God, my Rock, my Salvation. Today, I think of what my life would be like without my faith. Without the grace of God, I would be nothing, and so I am ever thankful for the gift of God’s personal love for me.