Prayer for Thanksgiving

The very first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It
was a gathering of 52 English settlers and about 90 Wampanoag Native
Americans, celebrating a successful harvest. Previously, many of the English
settlers had perished due to cold and hunger, and those who survived
participated in this three-day feast of giving thanks.
Most of us know this story. But if we insert ourselves into that place and time in
history, can we imagine “giving thanks” in those circumstances?

What does it mean to “give thanks”? “In the Bible, “thanksgiving” is a way to
express gratitude to God for His gifts and works. It’s a way to acknowledge that
God is the source of all good things and to show dependence on Him. Thanksgiving can also be an opportunity to share blessings with others” (AI Overview, Google).

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, in memorial of that first celebration. It did
not become a national holiday, though, until 1863, about 200 years after the first
gathering actually took place. During the Civil War, on October 3, 1863, President
Lincoln proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,
November 26. The holiday was then annually proclaimed by each following
president. The date typically chosen is the last Thursday in November. But again,
this first declaration was made in the midst of the Civil War. A time to give
thanks?

This year, as families around our country gather together to celebrate
Thanksgiving, it may look different and digging deep to give thanks may be a stretch. Many families in various areas of the nation are still recovering from
hurricanes, unprecedented flooding, wild fires, or from personal tragedies.
If we look back at history ..… to the pilgrims struggling to simply survive, yet giving thanks…..and to a president struggling to govern in the midst of a country divided, yet giving thanks… we learn that giving thanks is not dependent on circumstances.

Thanksgiving didn’t become a holiday when life was perfect at some random
point in history. Maybe Thanksgiving is a time to acknowledge that in spite of
hardship and difficulty, we can have hope and we can give thanks for the ordinary
blessings of life. We can give thanks for people we love, for a God who loves us,
and for friendships and connections, the things beyond the “things”. Scripture
directs us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever”,
Psalm 118:1.

As we BOOK TIME WITH OUR KIDS over the holiday, let’s practice this attitude of gratitude, seeking and pointing our littles to the ordinary blessings and beauty all around us. If we insert ourselves into any point in history, we could find reasons not to be thankful. But, we live now, “for such a time as this”, and I believe the pilgrims would marvel at the comforts and blessings that surround us at this very time.

Prayer of Gratitude, OurFathersChildren.org
Thanksgiving Prayer for KIDS, Easy Prayers for Kids, YouTube
Prayer for Thanksgiving, ReflectionsforCatholicParents

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