For centuries, holy men and women have praised God in thanksgiving, as is evidenced throughout the Bible and the writings of the Saints. St. Ambrose, for example, wrote, “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”
These days, for most Americans, the term “Thanksgiving” means “a day in November when families gather to enjoy a nice fat turkey with all the trimmings, then watch a little football, take a nap, and plan the following day’s shopping excursion.” Sure, we may remember to say grace before the meal, but what else during the day allows us to be true to the example which our ancestors have handed on to us?
Granted, Thanksgiving is not a liturgical holiday, but can’t we find ways to show our gratitude to God – not only for the significant blessings in our lives, but also for the little things … and to do so all year? As G. K. Chesterton said, “We may say grace before meals, all right … But can we not say grace before the concert and the opera, before the play and pantomime, before we open a book, before sketching, painting, swimming, walking, playing, and dancing?”
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Let us pray. “O Lord our God, you who supply us with countless blessings, both great and small, lift up our hearts in gratitude and thanksgiving – and not just on this festive day. Help us to remember today and every day the gifts we seldom notice, the abundance we take for granted, and all of the rich possibilities you provide. Help us to remember today and every day how gracious you are in giving us our daily bread, our houses to live in, and our friends to enjoy. Keep us always grateful for beauty and fruitfulness, for healing and hope, and for the comfort of your presence. We lift our voices in joyful praise today and always through Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. Amen.”
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Para la mayoría de los norteamericanos, el Día de Acción de Gracias es un día especial, donde ante todo se celebra la unidad familiar. En efecto, las familias se reúnen en Thanksgiving con más frecuencia que en cualquier otra fiesta, incluyendo la Navidad, y según estadísticas de las tiendas, este es el día en que más comida se consume en el país.
Pero además de estos aspectos tradicionales del encuentro familiar y de la gran cena, está también el sentido religioso de esta fiesta, muy presente desde sus orígenes. Por eso, los católicos no sólo debemos celebrar el Día de Acción de Gracias con profundo espíritu de oración, agradecimiento, y alegría, sino que la celebración de este día nos debe llevar a recordar que nuestra vida como católicos es una constante acción de gracias, a través de nuestros actos de la vida cotidiana, que deben todos ellos dar gloria a Dios, y de manera especial a través de la celebración de la Eucaristía.
