The Gift of Thanksgiving
Dear Friends,
Each year as I prepare for Thanksgiving, I am reminded why this holiday remains, perhaps, my favorite in the American calendar. Of course, nothing quite matches the reverence of Silent Night on Christmas Eve or the joyous clamor of Easter morning. Yet, in the midst of our commercially saturated year, there is something refreshing about Thanksgiving. There are no presents. There are no costumes to prepare for the kids. There are no specially chosen outfits or carefully curated Easter egg hunts for the family. Instead, it is simply a meal shared with family and loved ones—where, hopefully, we pause to cherish the many gifts we have received. On Thanksgiving, our focus shifts from the endless list of what we have done or ought to do for others, to the blessings and grace we have already received. This serves as a crucial reminder.
Sometimes, in matters of faith, we focus on what we ought to do rather than on the amazing things that have already been done for us. God created us out of love, granting us life and a world filled with endless blessings and possibilities. Yet, because the world is broken and life can be challenging, we are not always able to be grateful for what we have received. Nevertheless, Christ has entered our world and given his life for us—a perfect sacrifice for all. We are recipients of such generous love that it would be impossible to repay, even with a thousand lifetimes. What remains but to give thanks and celebrate the joy of being God's beloved children?
In a sense, we celebrate Thanksgiving every Sunday. The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word meaning "thanksgiving." Whenever we pray the eucharistic prayer, bread is broken and wine is poured out as we remember the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. As we give thanks and celebrate this work, we encounter the living presence of God, and we are transformed so that our lives may become offerings to God and to our neighbors. Indeed, it is always a sacred act to set aside our obligations for a moment and simply give thanks. We never cease to be recipients of God’s grace. Thanksgiving is as good a time as any to remember the gift of God in Jesus Christ.
Fr. Rob Lofberg