PRACTICE BEING GRATEFUL FROM YOUR HEART AND YOU WILL ALWAYS SEE THE BEST IN LIFE   When I was a little boy, my mother, may she rest in peace, used to say, “be helpful, Noel!” When we were visiting other people and someone there was doing a chore, my mother wanted me to show my appreciation by pitching in and helping those offering us food or providing us with a place to stay for the night. I think that often ego, vanity and pride easily prevent us from cultivating an attitude of gratitude. A thankful heart is the door to a better way of life and a better way to face the challenges of life. Besides acknowledging any favors received, gratitude should be used in all the aspects of life. The greatest way to express thanks is in the Holy Mass. What a wonderful way to show our gratitude to Our Father and His Son for their Love and Mercy to us! Conversely, it is not a sign of gratitude by those who call themselves Catholics but don’t take part in the Divine experience of encountering Jesus in the Eucharist. Saint Paul, in his epistle, urges us to "thank God at all times" (1 Thes 5:18) because he is aware of the great blessings received when thanking the Lord from the bottom of our hearts. For me, Thanksgiving is likely the major celebration in the United States, for on Thanksgiving, families get together not to exchange gifts but to express gratitude; to share, to appreciate and thank each other and, most importantly, the most wonderful part of the day is to thank God for all the good received throughout the year. Thanksgiving reminds me of the passage of the Gospel about the 10 lepers healed by Jesus (Luke 17: 11-17), where Jesus asks the only leper that came back, "where are the other 9?" I think this question shows that Jesus and by extension God notices when there is a lack of thankfulness in ones heart and that they pay special attention when gratitude is made by those least expected to do so, like a Samaritan; the marginalized of that day. There are many ways to thank. Overtime, I have seen that those who have practiced gratitude in their hearts live more happily, abundant lives. And those who do not understand the value of thanksgiving suffer much. For they tend to focus on what they lack and complain more than they say thanks for their many blessings. For instance, we ask Jesus to heal us when our arm hurts. Why don't we thank Him for having an arm in the first place? For those living in the United States, I ask you to never forget where we came from or our roots in another land, another culture. Let us think of those who are suffering today in those lands. Let us remember what we have endured to come to America and to help as many people as we can, enabled…