Philip Kosloski on Ending Each Day in a Positive Spirit of Thanksgiving

"After a long, tiresome day, often the last thing we think of is thanking God for what transpired. Yet, the spirit in which we fall asleep can impact subsequent days and if we fall asleep angry or bitter, we will likely wake up angry and bitter.

"St. Ignatius of Loyola has some advice in this regard. He suggests in his Spiritual Exercises to perform a general examination of the day before retiring. Before delving into the various sins or failings of the past day, he advises the soul to express gratitude to God.

"Ignatius writes, 'The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.'

"This is important, as it forces us to look at our lives in a positive way, from God's perspective. While we may have struggled throughout the day and thought it was horrible, God sees things differently. He allows all sorts of things to occur for our ultimate good and salvation. It is up to us to recognize his providential hand and let him be the driving force in our lives."

In a recent commentary, writer Philip Kosloski reflected on the importance of thanking God daily for His many blessings.

To access Philip's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: Philip Kosloski: How to end each day in a positive spirit of thanksgiving (16 NOV 18)