The Joy of Thanksgiving Day

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His love endures forever (1Chronicles 16:34)

As my Sisters well know, my favorite non-liturgical holiday is Thanksgiving.  To enter - as a non-American - all the traditions of Thanksgiving Day, has been a delight.  This is not just because of the physical joys I have experienced: the turkey meal extravaganza, all the trimmings, pumpkin pie and football – but also, because it fills me with wonder and awe to experience the whole nation stop, gather together in families and celebrate by preparing a banquet so as to give thanks to God for His providential love.  This is the meaning behind Thanksgiving that I relish, that is worth celebrating!  Whether each family explicitly understands and accepts this is not the point.  The meaning is still clear - it is written in the very name of the day: to give thanks to the provider of all good things, the Lord!

            I have noted that this season truly brings out the best in people here.  There is such a beauty in seeing so many Americans reaching out to help those who are not as privileged as they are.  We Sisters have experienced this in getting so many extra calls during this time from people who wish to serve the poor.  But why such a response?  Maybe it is because Thanksgiving reveals a deeper desire of our hearts which is to love, serve and thank the Giver of every good gift - the Lord who we do not see - by serving the poor who is our needy neighbor, the ones that we do see.  Therefore, through these selfless acts we experience true joy.

Thus, the true meaning of Thanksgiving Day is ultimately about thanking the Lord for all His goodness, for all His gifts.  And this is why I love this day.  Of course, this is not a

revelation to most of you reading this!  God’s gratuitous blessings keep coming!  He is so good to us that when we do choose to be grateful, we truly are given the joy, the happiness we seek.  In the effort of choosing to be grateful, we begin to develop the capacity to love the Giver more than the gift, and we begin to be able to thank Him in all situations, even the ones we find difficult.  And the more we thank Him, especially in the hard times, the more our trust in His love deepens, and therefore, the more our interior peace and joy increase. 

            Why so?  Because all things come from the hands of the Father who loves us, and thus, “all things work for the good for those who love Him”.  Yes, all things!  Even the pain, disappointments, discouragements, health concerns, family problems, financial issues and world issues – all things.  It is therefore a choice we can make, to be grateful to Him in all situations.  There was a popular hymn in the 1970s that said; “Count your Blessings, name them one by one”.  This is actually a powerful message, because in counting our blessings, in choosing to be grateful to God, our joy in life in all situations will increase!

‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’  (1Thess. 5:16-18)

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Personal Litany of Gratitude – my blessings from the Lord:

 

For the times when I feel frustrated with my inabilities; I Thank You Lord for teaching me humility.

For the times I become ill; Thank You Lord for trustingly sharing with me Your work of redemption.

For the times when I do not get to my ‘to do’ list; Thank You Lord for Your plans and purposes.

For the times when I am ungrateful; Thank You Lord for Your unconditional love.

For the times when fasting makes me hungry; Thank You Lord for being my true food.

For the times my loved ones are far from You; Thank You Lord that You are their God and Redeemer.

For the times when I feel ashamed by my faults;

Thank You Lord that I can put into your treasury the whole of my poverty.

For the times when I feel insecure; Thank You Lord for the truth that I am made good.

For the times when I am happy to have accomplished my task; Thank You Lord for working in me.

For when I sit down to my turkey meal;

Thank You Lord for Your providence in the goodness and generosity of our benefactors.

For the time when all seems dark; Thank you Lord that You are my light.

For the gift of my death; when it comes;  Thank you Lord that You are the gate to true life.

Sr. Faustina, CFR