The Importance of Appreciation

Father Solanus Guild Reflection by Br. Nick Blattner, OFM Cap. – October 9, 2025

During my brief time as a Capuchin Franciscan, one quote from Blessed Solanus Casey has stayed with me more than any of his other sayings:
“Herein seems to be humanity’s greatest weakness: its lack of appreciation!”

This quote speaks to all of us—religious, married, or single. A severe lack of appreciation has infected all of society, including us as Christians and devotees of Blessed Solanus Casey. There is deep wisdom in Solanus’ words, and there is spiritual danger in ignoring them. True appreciation is essential for our spiritual maturity.

It was during the coronavirus lockdown that Solanus’s words about appreciation truly began to take root in my heart—and in the hearts of many around the world. But before that, I first learned the importance of appreciation in my childhood.

When I was six years old, my family started a small business—a grocery store in Wisconsin. I often joked that I had five siblings growing up: two sisters, two brothers, and the store. It was a true family business, and we were all involved in one way or another as soon as we were old enough to work. As I joined in, it quickly became clear how underappreciated service workers are in society. We were often looked down upon, stereotyped as high school dropouts or people who couldn’t “cut it” in college—as if working in a grocery store was only for those who lacked the intellect to do anything more meaningful.

I have no doubt that those who work in restaurants, retail, and other customer service industries face similar discrimination and belittlement. This reality really struck me in high school when I announced that I wanted to make a career in the grocery business and take over the family store. My choice was not affirmed. Instead, students pursuing medicine, technology, or law were praised for their noble goals. I’ll admit, this embittered me. My knee-jerk reaction was to ask: How do those in the “noble” professions plan to feed themselves if no one is willing to work in food service?

It is not wrong, of course, to admire and support those who dedicate their lives to medicine, education, law, or any profession that serves the common good. These vocations are indeed noble. But what we must guard against is a spirit of judgment that elevates one calling at the expense of another. God, in His providence, works through all honest labor—whether it is teaching in a classroom, stocking shelves in a grocery store, or answering the door as a humble porter. The nobility of work lies not in its prestige, but in the love and faithfulness with which it is carried out.

Solanus Casey exemplified this attitude towards simple labor, and he is rightly credited with being the penultimate model of accepting his role with grace and joy. For instance, he could have become embittered when he was denied the faculties to preach and hear confessions. He could have raged in indignation at his Capuchin superiors for only allowing him to be ordained a simplex priest. He could have scoffed at the idea of a cleric being assigned tasks typically done by lay brothers—serving as porter and sacristan.

But he did none of these things. Instead, he embraced his ministry with joy and grew in appreciation for the goodness of God in his life and in the lives of those he met each day. Perhaps it was this very experience—being denied certain faculties—that taught Blessed Solanus how to deeply appreciate the so-called “lesser” or “undesirable” work.

This lack of appreciation seeped into the world during the lockdowns of 2020. In that moment, the world truly realized how deeply we depend on one another. Not one of us is an island unto themselves, as John Donne wisely said so many years ago. We need each other—and above all, we need God. Blessed Solanus knew this in the depths of his soul, and it was this understanding that nourished his profound appreciation for all of God’s blessings.

Through the witness of Blessed Solanus, God challenges us to foster a greater sense of appreciation in our own lives. It’s easy to appreciate those we love—who among us wouldn’t express gratitude for our family, friends, and close companions? But how often do we show appreciation for the people who touch our lives in small, unnoticed ways each day? More than that, do we show gratitude for Mother Earth and praise God for the blessings of creation?

St. Francis of Assisi expressed these values in his famous hymn, The Canticle of Creation. For St. Francis—and for Blessed Solanus—recognizing the goodness that comes to us through all of God’s creation is foundational to the Christian life. How often do we take for granted the sunshine that nourishes us? Or the bees that pollinate the crops that feed us? Or the rivers and lakes that quench our thirst? If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t thank God nearly enough for these beautiful gifts—and perhaps, even more so, struggle to cultivate a general spirit of appreciation for all that we receive through God’s grace.

In a world driven by consumption, we often grieve what we lack more than we cherish what we already have—especially the blessings given to us through the mercy and generosity of God. In Solanus’ eyes, the world would be a remarkably different place if only we could truly grasp the meaning of appreciation. Is this not what Jesus Christ calls us to through His preaching of the inbreaking Kingdom of God? We must repent, embrace metanoia – a complete change of heart and mind – and begin anew in the light of Christ. Only then can we begin to embody a spirit of appreciation in every fiber of our being.

The road is narrow and difficult—but not impossible. It has been walked many times by the saints who came before us, Blessed Solanus among them. He has left us signs along the way through his simple and faithful life. He has shown us that the road is only as narrow as we make it. Appreciation widens that road; it makes the journey more bearable, even joyful, for the pilgrim.

So, may we allow the Spirit of God to move us toward metanoia, toward a life marked by appreciation and peace. Along the road, we may come to see that despite the challenges, the journey is not as difficult as it once seemed. And this is how we will know we are on the right path—when we begin to appreciate the little things, when we stop obsessing over what we lack, and when we start to praise God simply for being His graced children. God is so good to us—all the time.