When Abraham Lincoln instituted Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863, he called on his “fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” However, the tradition of Thanksgiving starts much earlier in our nation’s history, dating back to the colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the early 17th century, as they give thanks with gathering, a meal, and prayers alongside the native people in the area for having survived a harsh winter and the death of many of the original settlers. Even George Washington started setting a day aside each year to thank God on behalf of the country for our many blessings. Thus, the holiday we celebrate today as a nation has strong roots in our country’s history.
Giving thanks on this national holiday has great meaning for us as Catholics. The Catechism calls the sacrament of the Eucharist “an action of Thanksgiving to God,” having its roots in a Greek work that recalls the Jewish blessings, especially during a meal, of God’s works of creation, redemption, and sanctification. The Eucharist has its roots in the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples, when he takes the bread, breaks it, gives thanks to God the Father, and then tells his disciples that this is his body that is given for them. Thanksgiving Day is not a holy day of obligation in the Church and not a specifically Catholic holiday, but many of the Catholic faithful want to come to Mass on this national holiday of giving thanks and gratitude for our many blessings. It is very fitting for us to give thanks through our Lord Jesus Christ in his offering to God the Father in this sacrament. While we need to remember to be thankful for all the blessings and gifts we have in our lives, we should be all the more thankful for the sacrifice Christ offered on our behalf.
We hear the familiar Gospel passage from Luke today of the one leper who returns to Jesus to give thanks after he and nine other lepers are healed. We just heard this Gospel reading during our weekend liturgies on October 12. Even though Jesus brought healing to ten lepers on that day, the one leper who returned to Jesus to express his thanksgiving and gratitude perhaps received a deeper healing and wholeness in his life than the others. As many of you know, I am very connected to Ignatian spirituality, which is based on the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola, and developed throughout Church history by the Jesuit community founded by him. Ignatius believed that gratitude and giving thanks are foundational to our Catholic faith, a direct response to God’s presence in the world and his generosity to humanity. Gratitude and giving thanks open our hearts fully to god’s love and God’s presence. Gratitude helps us see the world through the lens of faith. It helps us live in the present in faith and trust in God. Gratitude helps us move forward even life, even in the midst of challenges and difficult times. May we all live a life of faith that gives thanks to God for our many blessings. Blessings to you and your families this Thanksgiving holiday.
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