A Sincere Thank You..

My mom always taught me to do my thank you notes early, so here is a long thank you to the Blessed Mother on behalf of all the readers of this column and the young people of the Church, written with gratitude and love to the Most Holy Trinity. I am grateful for all of you and the gift I have each week to give you my heart in writing. May the Lord give you his grace and peace throughout this week.

God Bless You,
Rusty


Mother Mary,

I give you my heart in prayer at this moment and ask the Holy Spirit, your spouse, to come down upon me and all the young people of the Church. At this moment, may they not remain far from you. You are the surest and fastest way to your Son, take away all that keeps us from Him, and lead us to be who He wants us to be.

I pray with a grateful heart to you for the love that you show us, the comfort you give us, and the presence you are in our lives. May your Son be praised for the gift He has given us in you.

I offer this prayer up in thanksgiving to your Son through your most Immaculate Heart. We don’t stop nearly enough to be thankful as we take so much for granted. May Jesus accept these prayers from your heart as sincere and worthy. We know Jesus came through you Mother, and we know when our prayers go back to Him through you, they will be answered.

Today we are thankful for our lives…
In a world where some are not allowed to live and where the dignity of our lives falls somewhere between an opinion and a law, please shower down your graces for the conversion of our culture. May the conversion start with our hearts and lead us to inspire others to respect and defend life by the way we live our own lives.

Today we are thankful for our families…
No matter what happens, God gave us our families. As much as we wish they were perfect, they are not. But in the imperfection the Spirit give us opportunities to love and be loved. May we always act in charity towards our parents and brothers and sisters, and not let the love we have in our hearts for them be overshadowed by selfishness, pride, or other priorities.

Today we thank you for our friends…
Our friends are a gift to us. They share our joys, pick is up when we are down, and make us laugh when we are struggling. Surround us with friends who build us up, challenge us to be who your Son wants us to be, and who are faithful in good times and bad. May all in this time have a friend, someone who is there to show them the love of your Son.

Today we are thankful for the many joys in our lives…
It is those things that make us smile just thinking about them. Or those experiences or opportunities that bring butterflies to our stomachs or a spark of excitement to our lives. It is the joy of Elizabeth as John the Baptist leapt in her womb! It is your joy you had when you held your son in your arms. It is those things that make us want to jump for joy, tell a good friend, or shout intimately that He gives us those things we need to live our lives inspired to be who He created us to be.

Today we are even thankful for the struggles…
The struggles are a gift too as you know Mother. They show us what we are made of. They make us look deep down in our hearts and souls, and force us to look to Heaven and surrender all we have to the one who died for us as you did. You could have said no, but you didn’t. You inspire us to face our struggles with greatn faith and courage. Give us the strength of your heart and the comfort in times of need.

Today we are thankful for the little things…
It is the surprises that amaze us. The presence of you and Sprit in our lives when we least expect it. The smile for a neighbor or friend, the success that was never meant to be, the good night sleep, the hot shower, a fun soccer game, music notes played in harmony, a letter from an old friend, and even the smell of mom’s home cooking. You shower us with graces when we least expect. The little victories in life are often the most profound.

Lastly, today we are thankful for the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Word that inspired us, and the Church they left for us…
We are sons and daughters of God and of you, Mary. We live by the manifold grace of the Spirit and are free because of the Cross of Jesus. The Word is our guide and the Church is our Home. Protect it, inspire it, and give us all we need to one day come home to you forever.

Mary, I love you. We love you. Thank you for the gift of your Motherhood. I entrust the hearts of all young people to your blessed heart. May we come to know the love of Jesus your Son, the purpose He has for us, and receive the grace necessary to follow it through.

This day, may you offer our praise to the most Holy Trinity in thanksgiving for every gift we have been given.

With grateful hearts,

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death.
Amen