Daily Thought: If you use the
readings for the Mass of Thanksgiving Day in the Gospel you hear the story of
the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19) once again. We had the same story about two weeks
ago. It is a rich and challenging story especially as we come together across
our nation to celebrate this special day in our history.
The story of the one returning person
who had been cured reminds us that in the midst of the busyness of life we have
got to pause and be thankful. Life is not always about "me!" It is
about being grateful, being thankful and going to the Source of our Life with
that gratitude! Shopping can wait, partying can wait, God, prayer, family and
friends are in need of our attention! It is a matter of faith and that can make
all the difference.
St. Paul in his First Letter to the
Thessalonians tells us that – "In all circumstances, give thanks, for this
is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." As we journey through life on
this Thanksgiving Day let us be aware of God's many gifts and then think first
about who makes these gifts possible not just about ourselves and then be
grateful even when it might be difficult.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your
day and all you will gather with to celebrate be blessed!
Daily Prayer: Loving God of
all thankfulness, your gifts of love and goodness are infinite, help us to
pause this day and every day with gratitude for your kindness, mercy and love.
Open our hearts to have concern for every person so that all may share your
gifts. Finally help us to always recognize your gifts and return to give
thanks! Amen!
A Runner's Thoughts: If you run
today run with a mindfulness and a thoughtfulness of gratitude for the gift of
running and all the gifts you encounter on a run. If you do not run today be
sure to take time to give thanks!
Daily Blessing: Happy
Thanksgiving everyone! I hope the weather has not made your travel or gathering
today too difficult. I pray that you are where you want to be or are in the
process of getting there safely!
I am going to take my prayer of blessing
today from one that I offered you a few days ago.
This Thanksgiving Day I pray that you
will always find the blessing of thankfulness in your life. – God of all
blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace. We thank you for the gift of
life: for the breath that sustains life, for the food of this earth that
nurtures life, for the love of family and friends without which there would be
no life.
We thank you for the mystery of
creation: for the beauty that the eye can see, for the joy that the ear may
hear, for the unknown that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,
for the expanse of space that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.
We thank you for setting us in
communities: for families who nurture our becoming, for friends who love us by
choice, for companions at work, who share our burdens and daily tasks, for
strangers who welcome us into their midst, for people from other lands who call
us to grow in understanding, for children who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn, who offer us hope for the future.
We thank you for this day: for life and
one more day to love, for opportunity and one more day to work for justice and
peace, for neighbors and one more person to love and by whom be loved, for your
grace and one more experience of your presence, for your promise: to be with
us, to be our God, and to give salvation.
For these and all blessings, we give you
thanks, eternal, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. May the
blessing of thankfulness be with you as you journey through this Thanksgiving
Day and always!
I pray that today will be filled with
family, friends, food and thankfulness! Be safe today if you are traveling.
Pray for peace in Ferguson, our Nation and the World. Peace in Christ's
Passion...Fr. Paul
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