Thanksgiving every November is a time, not only to acknowledge so much we have to be grateful for, but also to remind ourselves of how ungrateful we have been. We can realize our ingratitude more clearly on those occasions when we are not thanked for our kindness and generosity towards others. Still more difficult to bear are those instances our kindness goodness towards others is repaid with evil and malice. Although these occasions may not equal the treachery visited on Jeremiah, our confusion, resentment, and desire to respond in kind can be strong. These are painful moments of self-knowledge in which our well-intentioned actions are shown to be tinged with self-seeking and less than purely altruistic motives. So whether it is ingratitude or malice with which our good actions towards others are repaid, let us strive ever more keenly towards that totally self-giving love manifested by Christ towards those who repaid his goodness by nailing him to the cross.
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