"Thanks" seems like such a feeble word

(a quick rerun from the first autumn -- 2005 -- in which I was blogging. It's all still true....) 

I have so much to be thankful for, and so few words to express it.

Thanks.

I'm grateful.

Thank You, God.

Thanks a lot.

No, I mean it. Thanks a LOT.

Really, I can't thank You enough.

I really appreciate it.

I credit You with everything.

Did I mention that I'm grateful?

Thank You. All praise, glory and honor are Yours, Almighty Father. So ... um, thank You.

See what I mean?

It sounds so feeble, so piddly, so inadequate.

What I really want to say is that I can't believe that the God of the universe cares that my soul was once headed straight for hell and now I am, at least, looking in the right direction. How does He manage not only to care, but to make me believe that He cares? To feel His love? To know that He is with me, faithful to me, every moment of every day, even when I am not faithful to Him? How does He do that? And how do I thank Him?

I can't. I can only pray, and gaze upon Him, and cling to Him in all that I do.

And, in my feeble ways, tell Him "thank you" as often as possible.


A prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce,
O most sweet Lord Jesus,
my inmost soul with the
most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love,
and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity,
that my soul may ever languish and melt
with entire love and longing for Thee,
may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be
dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee,
the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls,
our daily and supersubstantial bread,
having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.

May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee,
Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may
my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor;
may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life,
the fountain of widsom and knowledge,
the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure,
the fulness of the house of God; may it ever
compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee,
come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee,
and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with
umility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease
and affection, with perseverence to the end; and be Thou
alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches,
my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility,
my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment,
my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion,
my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind
and my heartbe ever fixed and firm
and rooted immovably.

Amen.