Throughout this month we have explored the living force of Gratitude as more than a feeling, but as the fundamental emotion of the life of faith; that which orients us away from apathy and cynicism and into a fuller, richer experience of life despite the pressures and pains that so often plague the day. This Sunday, in these post Thanksgiving days and on the eve of December and our theme of Hope, let us explore the relationship between these forces and consider how the cultivation and nurturing of Gratitude may lay the grounds for Hope to be made real in the world and in our lives.