Thanksgiving 2014(Click here for readings)
By JENNIFER BURGIN
As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.
A couple of weeks ago I ordered a used set of "The Liturgy of the Hours" from a third-party seller on Amazon.com. Inside the pages I discovered several prayer cards left by the previous owner. "What I wonderful, personal touch." I thought to myself. "I'm so blessed to receive these books in such excellent condition and with an added bonus. No way I'd find such prayer cards in a new set." As I thumbed through one of the volumes, a small piece of cellophane dropped on the floor. Sealed inside the cellophane was a real four-leaf clover! The previous owner used it as a bookmark for years. The clover showed age, yet remained beautifully preserved. I didn't know this until recently, but a four-leaf clover symbolizes "God's grace." I felt a wave of gratitude inside my heart, thanking the Lord for connecting me with these books. He continuously pours out his grace through the little things. I never thought an old used set of books along with a four-leaf clover would bring a smile to my face. I plan to treasure these Liturgy of the Hours volumes for years to come.
The Attitude of Gratitude Today is Thanksgiving Day in America. It's a day of turkey comas, football mania, and shop-until-you-drop pre-Black Friday sales. Sadly, I see more people stressed out around this time of the year than at their jobs. Thanksgiving has certainly become commercialized with the whole "buy, buy, buy" mentality. We still get together as a family to eat and drink, but it is often short lived. Within just a few hours we're in front of the television cheering for our favorite football team or buying Christmas gifts at the local store. Do we thank God for all of the blessings he's given us? Do we pray together as a family? Do we thank our loved ones and friends, letting them know how much they mean to us? Do we thank the Pilgrims and Indians who started the Thanksgiving tradition? The big question lingers: Do we adopt an attitude of gratitude?
An attitude of gratitude creates an environment where we become more aware of others. Simply put, we get out of our own selfishness and see a whole other side of humanity. In today's gospel reading, only one of the ten lepers thanks Jesus for being cured. He's even a foreigner! Why is this? Is it that the other lepers aren't as grateful? Perhaps. However, I think it's more of an act of ignorance. These lepers just don't realize the precious gift of healing given to them by Christ. They go on through their life, relieved of the painful symptoms but completely oblivious to the source of relief. This is how faith is. Some people believe and others don't. Faith and gratitude go hand and hand. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, and set our minds to follow his teachings, gratitude is a welcomed side effect.
On this day, while enjoying a Thanksgiving feast with family, take a few moments to remember all of your blessings. Go around the table and say one thing you are most thankful for. Cherish the family moment together and remember God's grace touches the lives of everybody in subtle, unique ways. Adopt an attitude to gratitude!
"Thanksgiving is good but thanks-living is better."
(Matthew Henry, 17th Century Welsh Non-Conformist Minister)
Happy Thanksgiving!
This meditation was written by Jennifer Burgin. Please follow her blog: Jennifer's Spectrum of Spirituality
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