Priest reveals secret to ‘beautiful life’

What is the secret to having a beautiful life?

According to Msgr. Jesus Romulo Ranada, parish priest of Mary The Queen of Teresa Heights in this city, it’s thankfulness or having a heart full of gratitude.

“Life is beautiful if we know how to be grateful,” said the priest in Filipino on Dec. 21, 2018.

The block of self-entitlement

“If you are a righteous person, you know how to show indebtedness [to those who have helped you] and you thank them,” stressed Ranada also in Filipino.

He also said that self-entitlement blocks a person from experiencing peace and contentment because of too many expectations and comparisons.

Instead of expecting and comparing, he emphasized that one should “thank the people that have been good to you,” and be grateful every day.

He explained that “full” in “thankfulness” means “you are overflowing with gratefulness.”

Three ways to gratefulness

“Be thankful to God and your life will be joyful,” Ranada stressed.

He then identified three ways one can show gratefulness:

• Saying “Thank you!”;
• Giving signs of affection or appreciation; and
• By praying

The priest underlined that the Eucharist, the highest form of prayer, is a sign of gratefulness to God for all of His blessings, the greatest of which is the gift of His Son.