Johnny had asked his mother for some money and she refused to give it to him. “You never do anything for me,” he yelled. She answered, “I carried you in my womb for nine months, I nursed you for two years, I fed you and clothed you, I nursed you when you were sick, I made sure you went to the best schools, I cheered you when you graduated, I set you up in your own place when you were employed, and I took you back home when you lost your job. That’s what I’d done for you.” To which Johnny pouted, “Yeah, but what have you done for me lately.” Human beings can be a clueless lot. I can only imagine Jesus’ first reaction when someone said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do?” If it had been me I would have said something like, “Dude, I just multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand people. Sign enough for you!” Jesus answers more patiently than that. The lesson for our own prayer today, say a prayer of thanksgiving for all the many ways you are being blessed. So often we take things for granted but we are being constantly gifted by God. Thank you, Lord, for the sun that shines and rain that falls. Thank you for my friends and family. Thank you for getting me up this morning and starting me on my way. Thank you for feeding me with the gift of the Eucharist which makes you really present to me. Thank you for flowers and birds and sunsets and … you get th idea. The list of blessings that we take for granted is endless. These are all signs of God’s goodness to us so give thanks.
