Thankful for "all things visible and invisible"

I have so many things to be thankful for; as our Catholic Profession of Faith exclaims, "..all things visible and invisible.”  It's easy to be thankful for the blessings we see and hear, and touch.  But do we really take the time to thank God for those things that occur that bless our lives in unknown ways that we won't even know about until we are face to face with our Creator?  Spiritual warfare is going on all around us with forces we cannot see, hear or touch.  How many times have we been saved from the devil through the Providence of God?

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, it’s good to remember that the talents or abilities that we possess are given to us by God.  He doesn’t want us to have a false humility about what He has given us and not develop and use them.  We are expected to acknowledge these gifts and work to develop them to the fullest.

God doesn’t give us our talents and abilities just for our own purposes of accumulating personal wealth or gaining admiration for our talent.  God gives us these gifts to be developed and utilized for the good of His kingdom here on earth.  We all can do this in our interactions with others that recognize the other as a unique person made in God’s image.  We can do this by sharing of our monetary wealth with those in need.  We can do it by sharing our knowledge through teaching or writing.  We can do it by creating and sharing pieces of art, dance or song.  We can do it by caring for the ill or conducting business in a fair and ethical manner.  We can do it by caring for the physical resources of this earth entrusted to us.

This was the finished 'project'.  I was so proud of myself!

And so was Mom!  But I was more thankful to God for allowing

me to learn a new talent and use it to serve Mom.                      

I am reminded today of the last Thanksgiving Day I spent with my mom.  She was preparing to move to Southern California to live with my sister-in-law Marilyn. 

My wife and I decided that she and our daughters and Lily would carry on tradition by celebrating the day at the family cabin in the mountains with her mother and siblings, while I would spend the day with my mom reflecting on the gifts and blessings God has bestowed on me. 

My plan was to order one of those ‘prepared Thanksgiving dinners’ that grocery stores and delis sell to people like me who are, shall we say, less than adept in the culinary arts.  

But Marilyn (my wife) and Alicia (my daughter) had more confidence in my abilities than I did, because when I told them of my plan they went to the grocery store and got me the ‘fixins’ for a real Thanksgiving Day meal that even I should be able to prepare.  There was a pre-seasoned turkey drumstick and breast that I only need to pop into the oven for about an hour and twenty minutes.   They also got me some stove-top stuffing mix, peas with pearl onions and some yams.  I boiled some potatoes that Mom had and mashed those, and I made some biscuits (OK, I used one of those ‘poppin fresh’ doohickeys and the microwave—but the thought was there!).   A little packaged gravy mix and we had Thanksgiving dinner for two! 

As I think back on the day, it was fun to accomplish this feat with just Mom to witness and share in my success at using the talents and resources that God had given me. 

As I said, we are expected to acknowledge the gifts and talents we have been given by God and work to develop them to the fullest.  I learned to embrace the opportunity to learn a new talent (how to cook) and used it to be of service to Mom on the day that we set aside specifically to give thanks to God for everything we have and everything we are.

So long as it’s done for the good of God’s kingdom, the rightful use of our talents and resources will be pleasing to God and our reward will be great.  We will be like the elders of John’s dream in Revelations, saying: "Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

A Thanksgiving Day prayer before the big meal

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this special day, a day to remember Your goodness to us.  Thank you for giving us roofs over our heads, and more than enough food to eat.  Thank you for the family You have given to us, those who are here at this table to eat this Thanksgiving Day meal, and those family and friends who are not able to be with us today.

We remember those who are not so fortunate as us.  Please bless them and keep them warm and safe as we begin this season of Advent, when we prepare for the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen