It’s the season for parties, family get-togethers — and prayer! Thanksgiving generally marks the beginning of party season — work parties, family get-togethers and holiday celebrations. Some of these gatherings we genuinely look forward to, but others we attend out of obligation. But there are ways to make those events more meaningful, and one way to is to remind yourself of what you’re grateful for, especially when it comes to the circles you are part of and the people you know.
So if you’re dreading that holiday office party or family reunion, take a minute to meditate on the gift that other people are in your life:
Heavenly Father, You have created me singularly and uniquely. Before I was created, You imagined me and loved me into being. You have done the same with each of your children and endowed each one of us with gifts known to You alone. Without each of these people, an image of You would be missing in the world. Help me, Father, when I feel frustrated or bored, to give thanks for each of Your children, to meditate on the love with which You create them, and to see You in them. During this holiday season, grant me the grace to be a missionary of peace, spreading Your love and joy to each person I encounter. Mother Mary, I entrust my worries and petitions to you, and I trust that your motherly care will be there for me when I need it most. Amen.
