Thanks and Praise

My mother was big on thank-yous. Most of her gratitude came in the form of baked goods—scrumptious edibles like Italian wedding cookies or Polish chrusciki.   She offered these mouthwatering treats to those who constantly showed God’s kindness to us:  the family doctor who never took a penny after our father died, the neighbors who plowed our driveway after the massive snowfalls.   She recognized God’s goodness in the hearts of others and was eternally grateful.   Focusing on the blessings of God rather than the pain of life often changed those potentially sadder moments into moments of thanksgiving.  Perhaps this is why counselors often encourage their clients to keep a journal of blessings. 

We could say the Eucharistic Liturgy is like being immersed in a journal of blessings.   It is a constant reminder of how good we have it with God.  In the liturgy of the Word, we hear God’s kindness unfolding in the lives of humankind.  In the liturgy of the Eucharist, we celebrate God’s goodness in giving us his Son, Jesus the Christ.   The heart of our liturgy is the Eucharistic Prayer, often called the great prayer of thanksgiving.  The word Eucharist itself is derived from the Greek εὐχαριστία which is translated as thankfulness, gratitude, giving of thanks.  One of the preface prayers for weekdays nicely sums it up:

You have no need of our praise, yet our desire to thank you is itself your gift.  Our prayer of thanksgiving adds nothing to your greatness, but makes us grow in your grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If we are truly attentive to the reminders of God’s goodness offered in the liturgy, we will have no choice but to be so filled with thankfulness that, like my mother, we will have to pour out our gratefulness onto others.  During these days of Ordinary Time, may we take the time to recognize all the gifts of life.

O Lord, keep us growing in gratitude and grace.  AMEN.