Thanksgiving

 

Though Thanksgiving Day is not specifically a Church holy day, gratitude is certainly central to our Christian faith, as is illustrated by the Gospel in which ten lepers were healed by Jesus (Luke 17:11-19).  And their communal reaction is something of which to take note.  Nine of them were healed and went about their business, not returning to the source of their healing to thank Him.  But one did.  This one leper, who was suddenly no longer a leper, returned to Jesus, glorified Him, fell at His feet and thanked Him.  This one leper was a foreigner, a Samaritan, but he manifested a faith that we should all strive to imitate.  The faith of this Samaritan was evident by the fact that he knew he needed to not only be grateful for the grace of healing but that he also needed to express it.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, we’re reminded that of all the things for which we must be grateful, nothing is more important than our gratitude to God for the immeasurable graces He has given us.  But as the story goes, it’s clearly very easy to overlook the importance of our response to God’s blessings.  Only ten percent of the lepers responded with such an expression.  Therefore, it might be helpful today to examine the many reasons we should be thankful and should work to express that gratitude to God.

First, God created us out of love.  This is no small gift.  It’s the first gift He has given us and one we often take for granted. God didn’t need to create us.  He didn’t need to create you.  But He did. And the gift of life, the gift of an immortal soul, is something that we must never overlook and always rejoice in.

Second, God entered our fallen state through the Incarnation within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Doing so elevated our fallen human nature to a height never known before.  Humanity and divinity were united in the Person of the Incarnate Son of God and Son of Man, and we must be grateful for this unmerited and awe-inspiring gift.

Third, we know the rest of the story.  God, in the Person of the Incarnate Son, suffered, died and rose again.  In so doing, He made it possible for every sin of ours to be wiped away.  As we die with Him, we’re invited to rise with Him.  And as we rise with Him, we’re invited to share in His glory in Heaven.

Lastly, in each and every life, there are countless graces given to us every day.  But as spoiled children, we often overlook these blessings and take them for granted.  Examples here don’t suffice.  It’s essential that if you want to have a grateful heart that you learn to see these blessings in your own life. 

Too often we focus on our struggles and pain. But the blessings are abundant, and the more we turn to our Lord in total surrender, the more the blessings flow.