As we celebrate on this Thanksgiving Day holiday, may we appreciate those who make up the fabric of our lives and remember to be grateful for all that we have.
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Father, all of Creation rightly owes you thanks and praise.
Your justice, love and mercy abound.
We thank you this day for all that you have given us:
For the Passion and Death of your Divine Son,
we thank you Father,
through the Cross, He redeemed the world.
For the Church,
we thank you Father,
it is our beacon for salvation.
For the martyrs and saints who give testimony to your Son,
we thank you Father,
their witness to your Son is our inheritance.
For our loved ones and friends who have died and gone before us,
we thank you Father,
their love abides with us forever.
For loving spouses,
we thank you Father,
together we seek you.
For the gift of children,
we thank you Father,
they are your precious gifts to us and to the world.
For the gift of our families,
loved ones and good friends,
we thank you Father,
Through them we see the reflection of your Son.
For jobs, our homes and all that we have,
we thank you Father,
give us only that which we need, as we seek Your Kingdom.
For the bounty we are about to eat,
we thank you through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Giving Thanks
I give you thanks, Lord,
for my perfect arms
when so many have suffered mutilation.
For my perfect eyes
when so many cannot see.
For my voice that sings
when so many are reduced to silence.
For my hands that work
when so many beg.
O wondrous Lord,
to have a home, to return to it,
when there are so many brothers and sisters
who have nowhere to go.
To smile, to dream, to love,
when so many cry,
and so many hate each other.
Above all,
to have little to ask you for
and so much to thank you for.
~Catholic Relief Services (Nicaragua)
Photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/suckamc/4014605524/”>Martin Cathrae</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>
Many Americans think of Thanksgiving as a wonderful time to celebrate getting out of school for a long weekend, and eating a great dinner. Or, maybe they think it is the start of the Christmas holiday season. What is the real meaning behind Thanksgiving?
We can trace this historic American Christian tradition to the year 1623. After the harvest crops were gathered in November 1623, Governor William Bradford of the 1620 Pilgrim Colony, “Plymouth Plantation” in Plymouth, Massachusetts proclaimed:
“All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones, do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill… there to listen to the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings.” Read More
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I slowly recover from my turkey hangover from celebrating two Thanksgiving feasts, I am able to take a few minutes to reflect upon this wonderful weekend.
This was a weekend filled with family. I had the opportunity to spend this holiday with both sides of the family: my side and my wife’s side. Although some people dread the holidays because of family, I actually look forward to spending time with both sides of the family. Read More
© 2024 Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker. All rights reserved.
