Season of Gratitude

 October 31, 2017

In his epistles, St Paul repeatedly gives thanks to God for the communities of faith to whom he writes. His giving thanks is more than a gimmick or a polite way to begin and end letters; giving thanks is a way of life that Paul embraced and to which we, too, are called. Moreover, giving thanks is a powerful tool through which we can change our attitudes and enrich our spiritual lives.

I have experienced nothing as powerful in my own life as the simple act of learning how to give thanks on a daily basis. Yet learning how to do this genuinely has often involved a struggle against my tendency to complain and to feel sorry for myself when things don’t go my way. Giving thanks is so simple, yet not always easy; it has required me to look at my life from a different perspective.

We are invited to view life itself, with its joys and success, its struggles and hardships, as a gift; accepting a gift implies saying, “thank you.” At each Eucharistic celebration we acknowledge that it is right and just to give God thanks and praise–for everything. Giving thanks challenges us who live in a social system that constantly seeks more, rather than being content with what we have. True thankfulness is often hard to come by in this world, yet it is so necessary, for a truly joyous life is grounded in gratitude.

The national observance of Thanksgiving Day encourages us to set time aside each November to count our blessings and to thank God for them. But today the frenzy of yuletide commercialism begins before young ghosts and goblins are asleep on All Hallows’ Eve. The push to buy more, to acquire more, relegates giving thanks to a Thursday meal surrounded by football games. More than ever, we need the gift of a thankful heart if we are to live with joy and with some measure of peace. It is especially helpful as you age. The latter years of life are ripe for reflection and thanksgiving.

The church does not set aside a specific time of year for thanksgiving, recognizing the need for a thankful heart all year long. However I am ending the church year, with this season, coinciding with the month of November. November begins with two days of remembering those who have died, All Saints Day, November 1, and All Souls Day, November 2, and ends with the American celebration of Thanksgiving. The readings at the end of November look to end times, concluding with celebration of Christ the King and the final judgment.

It is the time of harvest and thanksgiving for the harvest, the harvest of souls and giving thanks for the lives of those who have died. It is fitting at the end of the year to look back with gratitude for all God has done for us, as well as appropriate at the end of life to look back with gratitude on a life well-lived. And so our year comes to a close, our lives come to an end, our seasons are over.

May these meditations help you take a step toward becoming a more thankful person. If you make a practice of finding at least one reason for which to thank God every day, no matter how difficult that might be, you will eventually experience a profound change in your heart. You will have a thankful heart and an attitude of gratitude. You will be a thankful person.

This post is part of a series of reflections on the Church year.   click here to follow blog