Thanksgiving and Worship

On the fourth Thursday of November each year, Americans gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. We shop for necessary ingredients, prepare favorite dishes, enjoy special drinks, participate in holiday activities, share generations-old traditions, learn treasured recipes, and engage in lively conversation. We do not simply sit at the table — we set the table, express gratitude, pass plates of food, wash endless dishes, cheer for our favorite football teams, share our families’ stories, remember Thanksgivings past, anticipate what is to come, and, hopefully, say thank you before we leave. We actively participate … until it’s nap time!

As Catholics, we gather with family and friends to celebrate thanksgiving each and every time we celebrate the Eucharist. The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church reminds us “The word ‘Eucharist’ literally means ‘thanksgiving’” in Greek (n. 30). We give thanks for the grace of God and carry that gratitude into the world. Just as we participate in our familial Thanks­giving dinners, the Second Vatican Council calls us to full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations (SC, n. 14). Our expressions of gratitude in the Eucha­ristic celebration draw us closer to God and one another. We follow the Lord’s command to do this in memory of me (Lk 22:19). Bishops and priests are called to understand the liturgical books and liturgical life of the church prayerfully and deeply so that they might preside over liturgical celebrations which befit the “sacredness of what takes place” (MELC, n. 31). Our devotion to and gratitude for the life-giving gift of the Lord flows from the Eucharistic celebration into Eucharistic adoration which helps to affirm our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (MELC, n. 33).

Full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy begins at home, and it begins in our hearts and minds. We approach the liturgical celebration with hearts and minds that are prepared for the liturgy and open to God’s word. In the Eucharistic celebration, we exercise our baptismal priesthood by engaging our hearts, minds, and bodies (MELC, n. 31). We join in the ritual actions, gestures, and prayers, and open the ears of our hearts to the Word of God spoken in the liturgy. Genuflecting, kneeling, bowing, sitting, standing, and offering a sign of peace provide us ways to physically engage our bodies and senses in the liturgical celebration. These are our pathways of participating in our traditions and sharing our ecclesial stories. Some of the prayers of the Eucharistic liturgy remain the same time and again, but we do not remain the same ­— we are different people every time we approach the Lord’s Table. Through the Word of God proclaimed, the liturgical seasons, and the prayers of the Eucharistic celebration, we learn how God has acted, and continues to act, for our salvation — God has done great things for us!

Thank you may seem to be two simple words. Giving thanks regularly allows us to cultivate a life of gratitude. We feel gratitude in our hearts and express it through our actions. We move from our words of praise and thanksgiving to a life in which we spread Christ’s love throughout the world. When we recognize and are grateful for the many gifts we have, we can abundantly share those gifts with others. Giving thanks to God helps us to recognize the many ways in which He is present in His creation all around us.

Writing thank you notes is a valuable practice — we reflect on the joy we feel from having received a gift and share that joy and gratitude with the giver. Think of the multitude of gifts God has given us, especially the gift of “the Lord himself in his act of self-giving” (MELC, n. 31). Do you want to send a thank you note to God? Join the Eucharistic celebration!