Today's Thoughts - 01/03/2017

​Today’s Thoughts: In our first reading, John reminds us that we are beloved children of God.  We at times forget this and often are reminded by others in our life who are testaments to the love we experience from God.  When we falter and struggle, especially with sinfulness, we can learn from our sinfulness by pausing to recognize not only how it impacts us but also how it impacts others. 
 
John reminds us that those who have hope can gain a deeper understanding of God’s love that will make us pure as God is pure.  We need to be reminded that all of us are “works in progress” and that our sinfulness is not all or nothing.  Many times, our sinfulness comes from indifference and selfishness. We think only of ourselves and not about the people around us. We are meeting our own needs and failing to see the bigger picture. Often if we pause and look around we can see a path, a way to do better in the future.
 
With the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations and gatherings behind us, we now return to our daily routines. Let us pause and pray for the grace to remember that we are beloved children of God.  Perhaps being reminded of this can help us in this new year to be more present to others and more open to the wisdom of those we encounter.  Let us pray for the awareness of how we can use our gifts to proclaim the good news and serve God’s kingdom.
 
Have a great Tuesday everyone!