After a much different holiday in 2020, everything seems to be on track for this year’s celebration to resemble Thanksgiving Days of the past. For many of us, the large family gatherings will resume, and we will be able enjoy the day once again with family and friends.
As we gather around the dinner table with our loved ones to give thanks and enjoy the traditional meal of turkey and pumpkin pie, it would be beneficial for us to reflect on all that we have experienced in the past twelve months. Not one of us will be able to say that we had a perfect year. The ongoing pandemic has been a constant source of stress and anxiety in our lives, and I am sure that we have all experienced some type of loss, disappointment, illness, or frustration in the past year. Some of us may still be going through a trying situation or are recovering from a previous setback. This can make the act of giving thanks difficult. It may sound strange, but if we find ourselves in this situation, one of the most important things we can do is to express gratitude because gratitude fosters hope. Gratitude is a key virtue that flows from the heart and with it we can emerge from our feelings of despair and begin down a path to thanksgiving. An old French proverb attributed to the pioneering deaf educator Jean Massieu says, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart”. Reading these words, I am reminded of the many blessings I have received and continue to receive, even during the tough times. It is important to remember that gratitude is not just for the season of Thanksgiving but should be practiced every day. The act of feeling grateful is essential to acknowledging the goodness in our lives and living a life in service to God. As St. Gianna Molla said, “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.”
The act of giving thanks not only means focusing on the positives, but we must also examine the negatives because the most important takeaway from the setbacks that we encounter is that, through God’s mercy and grace, we have endured. This realization is central to what this day of thanks is all about. Of course, we all enjoy the food, parades, football, and fellowship, those are very important aspects of the day, but at the heart of it all, is a commitment of giving thanks for all that we have and all that we been through. First and foremost, all thanks and glory should be given to God. As Romans 11:36 states, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.” Gratitude towards God is important for a healthy spiritual life and the more we offer Him thanks, the closer we will grow in our relationship with Him and His presence in our lives will become more apparent.
At our family celebration, we go around the table and say what we are thankful for, which is one of my favorite parts of the day. A quick examination of where we are, where we have been and how far we have come, will give us the proper perspective to offer our contribution of thanks. If we search our our hearts and minds through a reflective lens, it will be easy to find many blessings to be thankful for no matter what we are going through.
When we gather this year to enjoy our Thanksgiving celebrations, let us do so with gratitude in our hearts while giving thanks to God and praying:
Heavenly Father, we come before you on this Thanksgiving Day to thank you for all the gifts you have bestowed upon us, especially for the gift of your son. We ask for your blessings on our family, our friends, our health, and this food we are about to eat. We thank you for your love, for your mercy and for the gift of life. With gratitude we thank you for the gift of this celebration after spending many long months apart. Be with us today and every day and guide us to do your will in everything we do so that we may share in your glory. Amen.
Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!