And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

Luke 17: 15-16

I will praise your name forever, Lord. 
Responsorial, Psalm 145:2
 

Rediscover the Giver of gifts (Gratitude)

There is always something in the air whenever this time of festivities begins from Thanksgiving to the end of the year. You notice it in the mood of the people you meet. People are nicer and kinder.  People are smiling the most, often very gracious – opening doors for the elderly or anybody else, saying hullo, calling others sir / madam, and wishing others a good time. All of a sudden, we are on our best behavior.

My theory, it has a lot to do with 2 things: family – the most important people in our lives,  but more, it has to do with GRATITUDE!  We need to rediscover Gratitude. Thanksgiving is my most favorite time of the year!

I think this is even more needed because we live (especially the last couple of years) in an ‘epidemic of paranoia’.  There is a lot of anxiety, uncertainty, delusions, fear mongering, short temper, rage, anger, people with a short ‘fuse’ and it is as if it is now normal. (If you are not a person who violently or rushedly react to things, people think there is something rather wrong with you.

Thanksgiving is a day meant for us to put all this aside.  For once, we are to learn and re-discover gratitude and the deep well of happiness and peace that gratitude can be. In order to best do this however, we, first of all, must recognize and rediscover ‘the giver of all gifts’ (God) and the gifts of others (God uses each other as instruments of his goodness and kindness to us)

 The Hymn ‘Now than we all our God’ summaries best the message of the first reading

 bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; Sirach 50:22-23

Bless God / recognize the Giver of gifts. Everything that we are, everything that we accomplish, begins in Him and in His will.

Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyr, reminds us:  

"It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.  The kingdom is not beyond our efforts. It is even beyond our vision.  We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work."

So, be grateful to the Giver. Gratitude will lead you to joy, happiness, peace, and freedom from restlessness.

Did you notice in the Gospel what makes the Samaritan leper (this foreigner) different from the other nine lepers?

The nine receive the gift of healing, and they are happy they received the gift, but they never go beyond that. The Samaritan receives the gift, he acknowledges this gift...then does what?

And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 

He praises God! – he recognizes the gift, then a further step, He returns to the one used by God to give him the gift, in this he recognizes ‘the Giver’ of the gifts. He could not rest to be content!

Let us pray on this day of Thanksgiving that the attitude of the Leper may rub off with us too. It may be the spirit with which we live our lives.

Husbands don’t take for granted your wives and vice versa, wives do not take for granted your husbands (see God in each other – recognize the giver and the gifts of the other) . Members of a family cannot take for granted their parents, but must appreciate the giver of gifts through whom they are provided for. The sick and elderly should appreciate those who assist and take care of them as they recognize the gift of their helpers but more, recognize with thanks God who provides care for them.

What does Eucharist mean? Giving thanks, recognizing the gift of the son of God who gave his life for us. We are grateful to God who gives us Jesus and a means of his abiding grace to walk and guide us daily.
Let us extend that gratitude to others.

This thanksgiving, rediscover the giver of all gifts and the gifts of others.

Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving,
Fr. Anthony

LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Thursday, November 25th, 2021,  Thanksgiving Day

SELECT HERE for the Readings of Thursday, November 25th, 2021,Thanksgiving Day

"What does Eucharist mean? Giving thanks, recognizing the gift of the son of God who gave his life for us.
We are grateful to God who gives us Jesus and a means of his abiding grace to walk and guide us daily. Let us extend that gratitude to others."
-Fr. Anthony

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