Gratitude

Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others.” How is gratitude the progenitor of all the other virtues? Probably because the focus is not on ourselves. We have done little or nothing to receive our material and spiritual gifts. Moving the focus away from ourselves to the givers removes egotism and suppresses selfishness, leaving room for the gratitude the giver should receive from us. Many spiritual writers place thankfulness as the first ingredient in maturing our spiritual lives. God has given us everything. When doing so, Genesis claims that whenever God created, God’s response was “That’s good!”  It’s almost as if God gives the creature (light, trees, animals) the credit for its goodness. When God created us, God said, “That’s good.” And ever since God has delighted in our goodness. Of course, we pray our gratitude to God for all God’s gifts, especially our being. But no matter how often we say “Thank you, God,” God has outpaced us in smiling upon us as we use God’s gifts and hear God say “Thank you” to us.