Have you ever had the occasion to read or hear something from the Bible and then conclude: “I’ve heard all this before?” Or beforehand, “it’s unlikely that I will hear something new here?” Maybe it’s not so important that we always hear something “new,” but that we are reminded of lessons that we have already learned, but might have forgotten or need to learn in a new way.
The same sort of experience happens when we celebrate a national holiday like Thanksgiving. For the vast majority of us, this is not our first Thanksgiving Day. Most of us have been, as they say, around the block a few times when it comes to observing this holiday. Will we run the risk this year of thinking “we’ve done all of this before” or “there’s nothing new to be had here?” We have all heard the phrases “Bless God,” “praise the Lord,” and “give thanks to God,” but, how might these phrases speak to us differently today?
Will we give thanks today for our blessings that, first and foremost, come from our Creator who made all of this possible? Are we ready to express our gratitude to God for the gift of life itself? Will we give thanks today for the people who have provided us with the food, or grown it, or cooked it? Will we be grateful for the people who have inspired us, helped us, and blessed our lives throughout this year? Will we take any time at all today to learn anew that God Himself fills our hearts with gratitude and then eagerly awaits our expression of it? Please be sure to join us for a Mass of Thanksgiving today at 9am.
Let us pray. “Thank you, Lord, for creating our world with all its beauty, and for generously sharing it with us. Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for the moments today when we can pause and reflect on your glory and see it in all the creation that surrounds us. Help us to trust that every day is a new day and a new opportunity for us to love you, by loving your people. In thanksgiving, we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
