Editorial

May we live an attitude of gratitude this Thanksgiving and beyond

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thes 5:18)

Beginning at a very young age, we learn important life lessons.

In most homes, we are taught how to dress, how to play nicely with others and share our things, how to have good manners, and how to pray.

While all these life lessons and many others are of utmost importance—especially learning to pray each day—at this time of year we would do well to remember something that should be a constant in our everyday lives: saying “thank you,” especially as we approach another Thanksgiving holiday.

But we believe many in society now take these two words for granted.

It used to be common to say “thank you” when you received a compliment, when someone offered you a “God bless you” after a sneeze, when a priest gave you absolution after hearing your confession.

Do we still have an “attitude of gratitude” when others recognize or affirm us in living out our call to discipleship? And are we offering heartfelt “thank you’s” to others when given the opportunity?

We must remember that gratitude is a fundamental virtue that is an expression of humble charity. It is a disposition of the heart that is rooted in recognizing God’s never-ending goodness and unwavering love.

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein reflected on this attitude in a Thanksgiving column shared in The Criterion in 2006.

“These little gifts of time and attention may not be large in themselves, but our response says a lot about how we see ourselves in relation to the world around us,” the archbishop wrote.

“The habit of saying ‘thank you’ helps to remind us that everything we have comes to us, originally and ultimately, as a gift,” he continued. “When we freely acknowledge our indebtedness to God and others by saying ‘thank you,’ we recognize the fact that none of us is an island, and that we are all interconnected as sisters and brothers in the one family of God.

“Through gratitude, we demonstrate a basic courtesy and respect toward all human beings, but we also free ourselves from the burdens of arrogance, resentment and isolation from the rest of the human family.”

The human family. That phrase should give us pause as we mark Thanksgiving this year.

Does our “family” extend beyond those ties that come through our parents, siblings, marriage? Our faith reminds us that the family of God, of which we are a part, extends throughout humanity.

As we reflect on our place in the world, may we never forget this important connection.

While most of us, God willing, plan to spend Thanksgiving with family, friends and those we love, let us remember members of our human family who are facing trials and adversity. We pray they find the peace many of them long to have and that God always provides for them and their families in their time of need.

Before carving the turkey, partaking of the traditional sides and settling down for an afternoon of family and football, why not attend Mass next Thursday morning? There, you can receive the greatest gift of our Catholic faith, the Eucharist, which comes from the Greek word eucharistia for “thanksgiving.” Wouldn’t that be appropriate?

May we also offer this Thanksgiving Day Prayer found on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website:

Lord, we thank you for the goodness of our people and for the spirit of justice that fills this nation. We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the land and the challenge of the cities.

We thank you for our work and our rest, for one another, and for our homes. We thank you, Lord: accept our thanksgiving on this day. We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

—Mike Krokos