The word “religion” comes from the latin word religare which means to bind. And so religion deals with the most important bonds in the human experience, our most important bond, our bond to God, and also the bonds of family, friendship, nation, the goods of the earth, and our neighbor. To be religious is to fulfill our duty towards these bonds.
And so this civic holiday of Thanksgiving meets this universal religious impulse and religious duty to give thanks for these things. Which is why we fill Thanksgiving with the things we value and are most grateful: friends, family, food, football for some, and hopefully some prayer.
Many Catholics, like ourselves, rightly begin the day by going to Holy Mass, even though it’s not a holy day of obligation. Like the Leper in the Gospel today, having acknowledged that we have received blessing from God, we return to God to give thanks. We turn to God, with great gratitude, for the gift of our salvation, for the good things that fill our lives, and asking God to bless the people we’re going to spend the day with, whether they go to Mass or not.
Around the Thanksgiving table many families still have the very healthy practice of each naming something that they are grateful for. Naming blessings, counting our blessings, adding up the good things of your life, including the gift of life itself, is in a sense a religious duty. To call to mind the blessings and the sources of those blessings and to give thanks for those blessings.
St. Thomas Aquinas said that gratitude is the “mark of a happy disposition to see good rather than evil.” Thankfulness is the soil in which the soul thrives.
Now, it is not that we ignore the divisions, strife, pain, friction, brokenness, or sorrow in the world. In fact, gratefulness should lead us to help alleviate the troubles in the world. But, today we focus not so much on division, but on the real human need to stop and give thanks. Today is not so much a day for political arguments, but for refreshing society, our families, and our souls through gratitude for the time and blessings we’ve been given.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I forget how important it is to be thankful to God, but that makes today, and the celebration of thanksgiving so important, that what we do here today may carry over, into every day of our lives, for Christians are called to be a people who live in perpetual gratitude, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the pilgrim Church on earth may shine as a light to the nations. We pray to the Lord.
That all people of good will may work together against attacks on religious liberty and the Christian Faith. We pray to the Lord.
For the protection of our armed forces, police, and firemen and all those who risk their lives to preserve the security of our country. We pray to the Lord.
For the safety of travelers, the peaceful resolution of all family divisions, and national hostilities, for protection from disease, and harmony amongst all those who gather together today.
For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, those who are out of work, those who are facing financial difficulties, those with addictions, and the imprisoned: that God will draw close to them, and bless them with grace and peace.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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