Thanksgiving reflections about the Grace of Gratitude

The Grace of Gratitude: True thanksgiving is not a sentiment but a duty and discipline that deepens faith and fosters joy.

By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly published in Columbia Magazine
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is often marked by hectic travel, a large meal with family and friends, and the beginning of the frantic Christmas shopping season. But should there be more to it? How should we approach this holiday dedicated to giving thanks? One way is to take a closer look at the life-changing power of gratitude.

Gratitude is an often-overlooked virtue. It is not a passing emotion, but an intentional choice — an act of the will that has the power to transform our lives.

As a spiritual practice, gratitude is a habit of mind that helps us fully grasp the presence of God in our lives and the extraordinary gifts he has given to us. Rooted in humility, gratitude is the recognition that God’s blessings are based on his goodness to us and not upon our own merit. Through gratitude, Our Lord gives us “eyes to see and ears to hear” (Dt 29:3, cf. Prov 20:12, Mt 13:16). We see more clearly his magnificent, often hidden, action in our lives. We realize his great love for us and how he shapes us, encourages us and prepares us through the circumstances and seasons of our lives. This is especially true in times of difficulty — times when it is hardest to be grateful.

Gratitude is the key to living a happier and healthier life. When we focus our minds and hearts on the gifts God has given us, our anxieties, petty resentments and negative emotions tend to fall away.

On a natural level, gratitude is the key to living a happier and healthier life. It brings about stronger relationships, better communication and healthier emotions. It takes us out of our narrow frame and allows us to see the world — and our place in it — with awe and wonder. There is a saying: “I never knew a grateful person who was unhappy, or an ungrateful person who was happy.” When we focus our minds and hearts on the gifts God has given us, our anxieties, petty resentments and negative emotions tend to fall away.

St. (physician) Gianna Beretta Molla (b. October 4, 1922- d. April 28, 1962) once wrote to her husband, “The secret to happiness is to thank God for what he is sending us every day in his goodness.” Gratitude moves us to generosity and even joy. What the saints knew is that gratitude leads us to holiness.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux (b. 1873- d. 1897) told her sister Céline, “It is the spirit of gratitude which draws down upon us the overflow of God’s grace, for no sooner have we thanked him for one blessing than he hastens to send us 10 additional favors in return.”

Indeed, the Latin root for gratitude is gratia, or grace. And lack of gratitude seems to be the root cause of so many of the ills that bedevil our society today, including selfishness and envy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists ingratitude among sins against the first commandment because it “fails or refuses to acknowledge” all that God has done for us (2094).

Rooted in pride, ingratitude blocks our spiritual progress. It leads to self-absorption and a sense of entitlement based on the false notion that others owe us something. In a letter to a brother priest, St. Ignatius of Loyola went so far as to say that ingratitude is the “cause, beginning and origin of all sins and misfortune.”

Conversely, the Mass is the highest form of thanks we can give to God. In its very essence, the Mass is a profound expression of our gratitude to the Lord for the healing power of his life, death and resurrection. It is no coincidence that the word “Eucharist” is derived from eucharistia, the Greek word for “thanksgiving.”

So as we approach Thanksgiving and the season of Advent, let us truly be thankful. But more than that, let us cultivate gratitude as a spiritual practice and an intentional and permanent part of our character. It will heal us and bring us the grace and peace of Christ.

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thes 5:16-18).

Vivat Jesus!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

St. Thérèse of Lisieux relics tour the United States beginning on her October 1st feast day, will be in multiple dioceses until early December

Image
An echo resport published in The National Catholic Register by Joseph Pronechen:  A ‘Pilgrimage of Hope’: Relics of St. Thérèse return to the US after 25 years, marking the 100th anniversary of her canonization. The faithful have the privilege of venerating the Little Flower, starting on her October 1st, feast day. Her relics will tour the US"  https://stthereseusa2025.com/ October 1-8, 2025: The tour kicked off at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, Michigan. Her relics visit the United States October 1 - December 8, 2025 the 100th anniversary of her Canonization and the Jubilee Year Royal Oak, Michigan (October 1-8, 2025) Ten dioceses in California (October 10-30) San Antonio, TX; several Carmels in the South (October 31-November 14) Holy Hill, Wisconsin (November 15-18) Washington, DC and environs (November 19-30) Miami, Florida (December 1-8) “I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach the Gospel,” St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote in he...
Read more

Father Richard Rice obituary- blessed with many spiritual gifts and a lifetime of friendships

Image
Reverend Richard Rice Obituary My family met Father Rice when he was the pastor of Holy Family Parish in Sanford.  He was a religious leader, an advocate for the Saint Thomas parochial school and a mentor to women religious. Maine has lost a devout priest who helped many people. He was blessed and will be missed. Brunswick - Very Rev. Richard P. Rice, 91, of Ward Circle died Friday, February 21, 2025, at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick. He was born in Biddeford on December 11, 1933, the only child to John and Mary Margaret (O’Brien) Rice. Father Richard Rice first considered the priesthood in sixth grade. He graduated from Cheverus High School in Portland in 1952. While attending college, in 1954, he met with the Most Reverend Daniel J. Feeney who assigned him as a seminarian for the diocese.  After two years of college, he entered St. Paul’s University and Seminary in Ottawa for philosophy and theology studies. On May 21, 1960, Bishop Feeney, ordained Richard a priest of the...
Read more

Novena to support Migrants with Mother Cabrini: Nine days of prayer

Image
The Migrants Novena is a way to be in communion with those who have migrated from their land of origin and seek safety and security in a new land. As Holy Mother Church calls us to welcome the stranger among us , we are also called to empathetically share in their plight. During this novena, we pray to our loving and merciful God, who told us from the beginning: “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:34); but we also pray for the intercession of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants. Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850 – 1917) Compassionate Caregiver; Patron Saint of Immigrants. Caring for others was fundamental to Mother Cabrini’s sense of mission; which she began with a profound sense of caring for orphans, for the poor and for immigrants . To her this would have been the highest expression of charity and a true im...
Read more