If there is one word that encapsulates the heart of Christian worship, prayer, and action, it is thanksgiving. We are a Eucharistic people. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word eucharisteo (“I give thanks”), and the Eucharist/Mass is the central act of worship for us. Attending Mass is not a mere perfunctory obligation; it is a genuine act of thanksgiving. It is a heartfelt response to God’s first love for us and for all that he has given us. Properly understood, it is never a mere obligation.
Hardly a day goes by in ministry at Good Shepherd when I am not called to pause and give thanks for some blessing, big or small. This week I have been giving thanks for the generosity of those who have pledged towards ministry in 2023. Some days, it’s a kind word from a parishioner or someone else that causes me to render a small prayer of thanks to God. What is it for you? Is it the good news of someone’s recovery from an illness? Or in times of difficulty and trial, is your expression of thanks simply that God has given you the strength to tough it out?
There is very little we should fear more than an ungrateful heart. Ingratitude starts in small ways, and then it begins to ossify our spiritual arteries. Before long, all we can see is negativity. All we can offer are biting words, and the glass is always half empty. This is what Scripture calls sklerokardia (“hard-heartedness”).
Truth be told, gratitude does not always come easily. That’s why it must be practiced, as with any spiritual practice. Have you considered ways to incorporate intentional gratitude in your own lives? Perhaps it’s as simple as making a list each day of everything for which you’re thankful. Perhaps you might practice the Ignatian examen, prayerfully reviewing your day to recall the ways in which the Holy Spirit was speaking to you and finding gratitude even in those frustrating moments. At the very least, disappointments teach us to be humble. One of my favorite lines in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is in “A General Thanksgiving, p. 836), where we thank God “for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on [God] alone.”
As we approach the American holiday of Thanksgiving, can we allow Thanksgiving to be more than just one secular holiday for us? Can we reclaim the core of what it means to be a Christian? I firmly believe that if we are grateful we are more generous. And generosity begets generosity. I have seen it in my own life. I have seen it in this parish. Precisely when you don’t believe you have enough time or money to give is exactly when you should give it. You will be changed.
We have much to celebrate and give thanks for in this parish. Because I will be away from Tuesday to Saturday of next week, we will celebrate Mass using the Thanksgiving Day propers this Monday, November 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Lady Chapel. Please come! Sign up here, and bring a potluck dish from your family’s heritage for our simple feast afterwards in the retreat house. The house will be open before Mass, so you can leave your dish inside before heading to the Lady Chapel. Let’s celebrate together as a parish.
Should you have any pastoral emergency next week while I’m away, you can call the parish office (610-525-7070), and you will be directed to my cell phone. I will then put you in touch with a local priest on call for such emergencies. I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday, and I hope to see you on Monday for our parish celebration!
Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle