Seeing God's gifts: In everyday occurrences

	Word to Life  Beverly Corzine

One golden Saturday morning it was my lot to monitor a film crew's use of our office space.

While I waited for the crew's arrival, I stared at the beautiful morning unfolding outside in the parking lot and in a grassy area nearby.

With the arrival of each car I wondered, "Is this part of the crew?" Car after car indeed was filled with a "crew." However, these people were not the crew I was anticipating.

The Ascension of the Lord (Sunday, May 20, 2007) Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Eph 1:17-23 or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23 Lk 24:46-53

Out of each vehicle spilled children with one or both parents and an occasional grandparent.

Today was the long-awaited First Eucharist Preparation Day. I soon became the unofficial greeter. One young person informed me that the next Saturday, when he would receive the Eucharist for the first time, would be "the best day of all."

Nearly every child brought a gift to the event. When I asked about them, I was proudly told that the bags were full of toiletry items for people who were sick. The spirit of anticipation and joy that seemed to animate each group was contagious.

As I sent the last family to find the designated meeting room, members of the camera crew began to arrive. During introductions someone asked, "Are you always this happy when you have to work on a Saturday morning?"

"I had some help this morning!" I replied.

The gorgeous day, the children and their families, meeting the film crew, watching their creativity and attending Saturday evening Mass all became a part of a gift called Saturday.

	Reflection questions • When have you prayed in anticipation of an event yet to happen or an unknown person to enter your life? • How has this affected the way this event or person becomes a gift to you?

Most of us would agree that one of God's great gifts to humanity is Scripture. In fact, some passages or books in the Bible seem to literally knock us over with a great, "Aha!"

John's Gospel is one of those books. The entire 17th chapter is a prayer of Jesus. Today's Gospel comes from the closing verses of Chapter 17. When this prayer is ended Jesus will go to the garden, but not before he has included in his prayer those who are yet to come.

This column is offered in cooperation with the North Texas Catholic of Fort Worth, Texas.