There are more measures of the quality of life than those of a purely financial and economic nature, the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe has said in his New Year message.
Bishop Ken Good says despite the obvious financial pressures and economic hardships affecting everyone at present, the themes of gratitude and generosity are increasingly pertinent.
“By focusing so much on what we do not have, we can be in danger of becoming increasingly joyless, powerless and dispirited,” he says.
“In this New Year’s Message, my prayer is that we may live, act and speak as people who are grateful and generous, and who, as a consequence, are not afraid to be positive and hopeful.”
Bishop Good says even in the face of serious austerity measures, there can be real value in deciding to be grateful for many good things we do have.
“A conscious sense of gratitude (including to God) for these things can then lead to an increasing generosity.
“A conscious decision to be grateful and to be generous can, in fact, be quite empowering and can help us deal with difficult financial circumstances with greater control and resolve,” he says.
See also:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0103/1224309736636.html