Sometimes we need to be turned into wine

By Shannon Roh
For The Catholic Week
We are like grapes in God’s vineyard. 
While this year has presented many challenges, Thanksgiving is coming up and what better time to reflect on the many blessings in our life.  
It is easy to allow our concerns for COVID-19, hurricanes and the presidential elections to consume our thoughts and conversations.  
However, scripture provides abundant reminders that we are called to give thanks in all situations. 
“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”  (Thessalonians 5:18)
Just think of the traumatic journey of the delicate grapes before they are crushed and turned into your favorite wine. I think throughout 2020 we have all felt a little like a crushed grape. We must stay strong in our faith and know that God is in control. If wine is the result of a grape’s traumatic year, what must God have planned for us?  
The Bible is filled with scripture instructing us to give thanks to our Lord always and in everything. In Psalm 100:4 we are told to “Give thanks to God, bless His name.” 
In Jeremiah 33:11 we are told to “… Give thanks to the LORD Almighty …” St. Paul was passionate about giving thanks to our Lord. He reminds us in almost every letter he wrote that we are called to be thankful to God in all that we do.  
As good Christian stewards trying our best to answer the call to gratitude, we should start by showing our thanks for the gifts that God entrusted to us. The best way to show our gratitude for the gifts God gave us is to use them to glorify Him. As faithful stewards we must listen to God’s call in scripture and make an effort each and every day to discover God’s gifts, nurture them, and share them generously. Sometimes, we need to be turned into wine, it is a gift.
For a reflection on Thanksgiving, check out: 1 Corinthians 1:4, 2 Corinthians 9:11, Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and 1 Chronicles 16:34.
­­ — Shannon Roh is the Executive Director of the Office of Development and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Mobile.