It was in 1965 that I made my way through the heavily trafficked New Jersey Turnpike and had my first Thanksgiving Dinner. I celebrated with friends of mine who were living in Livingston, N.J.
We sat around a large table with plenty of good food and drink. We talked and we prayed. We gave thanks to a God who provides for all our needs. We gave thanks to a God who promises to be with us always.
It was my first experience of a great American custom. A great custom that dates back to a small group of poorly educated farmers who knew that there was far more to life than wealth, politics and social standing. They had a sense that there was a presence in their midst.
These early pilgrims wanted to build their lives on religious beliefs and gratitude to God. These men and women were grateful for many things. They were grateful for their freedom from oppression, their bountiful harvests and their ability to start life anew. They found so much for which to be grateful. They had an attitude of gratitude.
The thanksgiving season is a time to practice the art of being grateful. It is a time to cultivate the psychological attitude of gratitude. It is a time to cultivate a grateful heart. It is a time to acknowledge our good fortunes. It is a time to count with delight our blessings.
Grateful people believe that their actions and their lifestyles can direct and influence young people. Grateful people generate an energy that can truly nourish in a very healthy way the souls of young people.
Grateful people have a tendency to establish a harmonious rhythm in their family milieus. They radiate an attitude that can reduce conflict in the home and enable their children to rise above the noise of the world.
Grateful people are prone to participate in Sunday worship. They are more willing to accept spiritual traditions. They give their children a sense of being a part of something greater than they are. They enable their children to rise above the noise of the world. They have a greater sense of God.
Grateful people can project on to others that spirituality can be a powerful source of strength and peace. They are comfortable with meditation. They can teach others to be still. They demonstrate how to listen to one’s heart and to the depths of God who hides within. They exhibit a sense of peace and integrity.
As grateful people, we recognize that this is the special season to give thanks to God. We thank him for our daily food and drink. We thank him for our homes, families and friends. We thank him for our minds that think. We thank him for our hearts that love. We thank him for our hands that serve. We thank him for our feet that walk. We thank him for we know that all we have is one big expression of God’s unconditional love for all that he has created.
Without a doubt, this is the season to thank God for all our brave men and women who serve in the armed forces. They serve so that we might have freedom and safety.
Msgr. Thomas J. Morgan is pastor of St. Mary Parish and St. Thomas More Parish, Cherry Hill.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”