Blessed Thanksgiving

On Thursday, November 24, many of us will join in spending time with family and friends to celebrate "Thanksgiving Day." Let this be a time to reflect and express your gratitude and thanksgiving to God for all of the many gifts, talents, and blessings God has graciously given to you throughout your lifetime: God's unconditional and sustaining love for you, God's friendship and personal relationship with you, being born into an ongoing and emerging creation, Christ becoming incarnated in Jesus–the human face of God, sending the Spirit to indwell, empower, and guide you, granting you membership in the Church–all people of God, the gifts of your parents and your other ancestors, your siblings and your other family members, your spouse, your children and grandchildren, your friends, neighbors, and coworkers, your teachers and other mentors, the people who provide you with security, employment, medical care, food, housing, water, clothing, nourishment, sustenance and other necessaries for existence, the gifts of a physical body with a rational mind, intelligence, sensations, emotions, imagination, conscience, freedom to choose, and for giving you hope and faith in the goodness of a merciful, compassionate and loving God, and for God's promised gift of eternal salvation through Christ.

We must also recognize that not all people have experienced such blessings. Therefore, let us also offer prayers to God for those persons in our world today who are separated from their families, especially those persons serving in the military; those persons who are experiencing pain and suffering in their daily lives; those persons suffering injustice; those persons who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, unclothed, and poor; those persons who are isolated, lonely, depressed, and feeling hopeless; those persons who are sick, incapacitated, or addicted; those persons who are physically, mentally, and emotionally impaired; those persons who are grieving a loss; those persons who are victims of war, terror, and crime; those persons who are oppressed, marginalized, powerless, abandoned, and otherwise feel forgotten; and those persons who do not experience the presence of God in their lives.

Let us also ask God for the wisdom, compassion, and courage to reach out, within our means and abilities, and share our gifts and talents in solidarity with those in need.