Gratitude Begets Joy

A life of faith is a life of gratitude -- it means a life in which I am willing to experience my complete dependence upon God and to praise and thank Him unceasingly for the gift of being.

A truly eucharistic life means always saying thanks to God, always praising God, and always being more surprised by the abundance of God's goodness and love.  How can such a life not also be a joyful life?

It is the truly converted life in which God has become the centre of all.  There gratitude is joy and joy is gratitude and everything becomes a surprising sign of God's presence.

~Fr. Henri Nouwen