Month of Gratitude Email Series November 2017
Love and Tenderness
As we begin our Month of Gratitude, we reflect on Pope Francis’ recent words: “And what is tenderness? It is the love that comes close and becomes real. It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands.” How is tenderness different than love? Take a moment now to read aloud, “It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands.” What is a feeling or mission in your heart right now? What action, thoughts or prayers do you want to take this month to help mobilize the feelings and mission of your heart to your eyes, ears and hands, and the eyes, ears and hands of others?
Mercy
“God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14)….Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.” – Pope Francis
Pope Francis invites us to become “agents” of God’s mercy and be renewed in his love. By being agents of God’s mercy, we are invited to show tenderness to those around us. During this time of waiting, let us reflect on God’s mercy in our daily lives and how we allow ourselves to be renewed by his love through the tenderness we bestow upon others.
Evolution of Revolution
Pope Francis has encouraged us to a “Revolution of Tenderness.” What does Pope Francis mean by “revolution”? We have learned of many revolutions from our Saint Ben’s history classes – the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, the American Revolution… Is Francis’s revolution a new calling? Is it an “overthrow” of the way we have been thinking about tenderness and love? Or is he calling us to an evolution? How do you want to evolve your tenderness from your heart over this month?
Unconditional Love
In our fast-paced world, we as a culture seem to be suffering from a “what’s in it for me?” attitude. We’re constantly trying to balance work, family time and personal activities, not to mention financial decisions – and we often naturally try to maximize our own benefit. In a daily life seemingly made up of transactions big and small, it is vitally important to recognize the people who love and care for us without the expectation of anything in return. The people who love us for who we are and not what we can do for them, and who love us despite all of our many flaws and human imperfections. These people might be our parents, our children, our family members and dear friends. Who in your life has shown you unconditional love? Take a moment to reflect and be thankful for those people. How do you show unconditional love to others? Take some time each day to remember all your loved ones and the gifts they bring you.
Fortitude, Solidarity and Humility
“Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude, it is the path of solidarity, the path of humility.” – Pope Francis
Pope Francis states that “tenderness … is fortitude.” Do we use our tenderness with and toward others to strengthen them and build them up? In the Prayer of Saint Francis we hear “It is in giving, that we receive.” By fortifying others with our tenderness, we too, will be fortified. Take some time today to reflect on how you fortify others with your tenderness. Does it come easy or does it take effort? The ractice of tenderness can help us prepare for the coming of His son.
Serenity
We are surrounded by voices everywhere urging us to forever BE MORE. Be more confident, make more money, lose more weight, achieve higher career goals, push our children harder, sleep less, relax less, get up earlier, stay at work later, cook better meals and NEVER STOP. While the goal of all this encouragement to live our “best” life might seem like it comes from a good place, and while many of those goals are admirable on their own, they also involve some form of rejecting parts of who we are as “not good enough.” Maybe you are someone who values solitude and quiet. Maybe you don’t want to run your own business or make six figures but you’re happy having “just” a job that allows you to pursue other interests and passions outside the workplace. Maybe you accept your body as-is and are thankful for what it can do – and you don’t feel like you need to change it all, despite its imperfections. When we listen to the small voice on the inside, the one that affirms who we are as individuals, it becomes easier to drown out all that noise from the outside world that tells us who we “should” be. What are some of the qualities you love and accept in yourself? How do you honor who you are in a world that wants us to be someone else’s ideal?
Family
Most of us have experienced the tender love of a parent. Many of us, those that are parents, have also been privileged to in turn show that tenderness to the children we bring into this world. There is nothing more precious than the love and tenderness experienced through positive family relationships. During this Month of Gratitude, let us reflect on the tenderness we have experienced in our lives and show tenderness to those in need.
Listening
“Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future.” – Pope Francis.
As we continue our reflection, tenderness does not begin by spreading our mission to the eyes, ears and hands of others; rather it is opening our eyes and ears to see the needs of others and to hear the voices and concerns of others. Reflect on your actions today – have you been an observer or have you wandered with eyes closed? Have you been a listener or a talker? Listening requires a focus and a concentrated effort that talking does not. It requires us to observe, reflect, process and absorb. How does listening help us to have love and take action in support of God’s children, the poor and those who are afraid of the future?
Fun
When was the last time you laughed so hard that you cried? What do you like to do purely for enjoyment? Lately, it seems like there is bad news everywhere. On the news, on the internet, in far-away places and in places very close to home. Sadly, there is and always has been much suffering in our world. One of the greatest gifts we have been blessed with as human beings is the ability to not only feel pain and empathy, but also to feel happiness and pleasure. Being able to laugh, smile and enjoy good times are essential parts of living a full life and of balancing out the inevitable darkness we all encounter. What brings you joy? Who brings you happiness? Take a moment be thankful for all the rich pleasures, big and small, that you have in your life.