Thanksgiving Day
“Jesus, Master have pity on us,” the ten cried out. “And as they were going they were cleansed.” This familiar passage reminds us to give thanks to God. Ten lepers were healed, yet only one returned to Jesus to give thanks. How often do we fail to give thanks to God? How many times do we start our prayer by entreating the Lord, or approach prayer as self-help? We are all guilty at one time or another of reducing our relationship with God to a matter of our needs: “God, I want this,” or “God, how do I handle this?” This is not necessarily a bad way to pray. Often we ask the Lord for good things, whether it be a particular virtue or a grace, the conversion of someone, or, in this case, healing.
However, our relationship with God cannot be reduced to mere petition, or intercession. The Catechism reminds us of the different forms of prayer: petition, intercession, praise, blessing, adoration, and thanksgiving. And the greatest of these is thanksgiving. St. Ambrose says, “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”
I know I am guilty of entering prayer by only to ask for God’s grace or his intervention—and failing to give Him thanks. Thanksgiving calls us out of ourselves to recognize the value of the other. Just as we say thank you to people who have given us their assistance, we need to give thanks to God. How much more should I be thankful to the all-loving, all-powerful God who loves me and who is holding me in existence at this very moment? In this festive season, let us strive to give thanks to God always, for this is the will of God. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
Ponder these two quotations:
Trappist monk Thomas Merton says “To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.”
St. Teresa of Avila encourages us saying, “In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give him thanks.”
Reflection by Eric, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections