Become aware of all you have, to truly give thanks

By Matt Walling

That time of the year is upon us again. Football is in full swing and we are waking up with frost outside on our windows and in our yards. Leaves have changed colors and are falling from the trees, and stores and radio stations are playing Christmas music much too early.

While all of this is going on, many of us have our minds on that big feast at home surrounded by those days off from school. What more could a school full of eager students and faculty members ask for?

During this time of anticipation, there are a countless number of people; women, men, and children who have nothing to look forward to. A countless number of people who do not have a roof over their heads, money in their pockets, or coats on their backs. A countless number of people who have no family, no one to visit them, and nobody to talk to. Situations like this are all around us, which brings me to my point. In this time of thanksgiving, be thankful for what you have, and give to those who need it.

In our personal lives, reflect on all that you have. Big or small, few or many, there are people worldwide that have substantially less. Be thankful for the clothes on our backs that we wear to school and elsewhere each and every day, as well as for the food that keeps us energized, in order to study and perform in and out of the classroom on a regular basis.

Here at Bishop Kelly, we are truly blessed. Our teachers dedicate themselves to our education and well being. Our hard working custodians are here during the week and over the weekend keeping our study environments in tip top shape. The cafeteria staff is always busy in the kitchen making sure that there is food for us to purchase and eat at break, and at our respective lunches. Lastly but certainly not least, our technology team is always roaming the halls assisting with stubborn laptops that won't log in, along with many other electronic difficulties that we may face throughout the day, caused too, by items this school has provided for us to use and be thankful for.

Most Importantly we have a privilege to express our Catholic faith of which the school is built upon, and we practice it together as a whole multiple times per day; as well as mass once each month, something that no other high school in the state of Idaho is permitted to do, and is often times overlooked or taken advantage of by many, which is why it is also important to examine the theological side of thanksgiving.

If we all try to be more aware of God and His action in our human and earthly existence, we will be thankful for our lives, our health, our family and friends, and our talents given to us by God, who has created all.

If we humble ourselves, we can find the action of God in the painful aspects of life as well; such as difficulties with others, sickness, and failures. God is a part of all of these things, not always to test us, but to give us the gift of greater understanding; because every action of God is a gift and every action of God calls us to gratitude.

This invitation and opportunity to gratitude is given to us by God in many forms. It can be found in the scripture, specifically in the Psalms or works by Paul. In Mass we express gratitude in our response to the readings "Thanks be to God", followed by the true act of giving thanks in the Eucharist.

Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church " The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all His benefits…Eucharist means first of all 'thanksgiving'". The Eucharist is a beautiful action of thanksgiving.

It is common to receive something and say "thank you", but just like participation in the Eucharist, we must also take action to show our gratitude in every day life to others. Actually getting out and showing gratitude is substantially more demanding. Getting out and showing gratitude is costly, it is complicated, but it is also so much more expressive and rewarding.

Brothers and Sisters, I leave you with this, make a sacrifice, act on gratitude, and give your time, talents, and treasures to God and everything around you which He has made and given to us. It is without Him, that we have nothing, not even ourselves and our own existence, to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving, let us strive to truly be thankful in everything we do and say, as well as further appreciating the Eucharist, Christ's gift of thanksgiving to us, to further manifest our thanks to God and receive Him, our greatest gift.

Become aware of all you have, to truly give thanks

By Matt Walling

That time of the year is upon us again. Football is in full swing and we are waking up with frost outside on our windows and in our yards. Leaves have changed colors and are falling from the trees, and stores and radio stations are playing Christmas music much too early.

While all of this is going on, many of us have our minds on that big feast at home surrounded by those days off from school. What more could a school full of eager students and faculty members ask for?

During this time of anticipation, there are a countless number of people; women, men, and children who have nothing to look forward to. A countless number of people who do not have a roof over their heads, money in their pockets, or coats on their backs. A countless number of people who have no family, no one to visit them, and nobody to talk to. Situations like this are all around us, which brings me to my point. In this time of thanksgiving, be thankful for what you have, and give to those who need it.

In our personal lives, reflect on all that you have. Big or small, few or many, there are people worldwide that have substantially less. Be thankful for the clothes on our backs that we wear to school and elsewhere each and every day, as well as for the food that keeps us energized, in order to study and perform in and out of the classroom on a regular basis.

Here at Bishop Kelly, we are truly blessed. Our teachers dedicate themselves to our education and well being. Our hard working custodians are here during the week and over the weekend keeping our study environments in tip top shape. The cafeteria staff is always busy in the kitchen making sure that there is food for us to purchase and eat at break, and at our respective lunches. Lastly but certainly not least, our technology team is always roaming the halls assisting with stubborn laptops that won't log in, along with many other electronic difficulties that we may face throughout the day, caused too, by items this school has provided for us to use and be thankful for.

Most Importantly we have a privilege to express our Catholic faith of which the school is built upon, and we practice it together as a whole multiple times per day; as well as mass once each month, something that no other high school in the state of Idaho is permitted to do, and is often times overlooked or taken advantage of by many, which is why it is also important to examine the theological side of thanksgiving.

If we all try to be more aware of God and His action in our human and earthly existence, we will be thankful for our lives, our health, our family and friends, and our talents given to us by God, who has created all.

If we humble ourselves, we can find the action of God in the painful aspects of life as well; such as difficulties with others, sickness, and failures. God is a part of all of these things, not always to test us, but to give us the gift of greater understanding; because every action of God is a gift and every action of God calls us to gratitude.

This invitation and opportunity to gratitude is given to us by God in many forms. It can be found in the scripture, specifically in the Psalms or works by Paul. In Mass we express gratitude in our response to the readings "Thanks be to God", followed by the true act of giving thanks in the Eucharist.

Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church " The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all His benefits…Eucharist means first of all 'thanksgiving'". The Eucharist is a beautiful action of thanksgiving.

It is common to receive something and say "thank you", but just like participation in the Eucharist, we must also take action to show our gratitude in every day life to others. Actually getting out and showing gratitude is substantially more demanding. Getting out and showing gratitude is costly, it is complicated, but it is also so much more expressive and rewarding.

Brothers and Sisters, I leave you with this, make a sacrifice, act on gratitude, and give your time, talents, and treasures to God and everything around you which He has made and given to us. It is without Him, that we have nothing, not even ourselves and our own existence, to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving, let us strive to truly be thankful in everything we do and say, as well as further appreciating the Eucharist, Christ's gift of thanksgiving to us, to further manifest our thanks to God and receive Him, our greatest gift.