Catholic Lady Talks!: The Truth is out there!: Thanksgiving, Giving Thanks

I was thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday this week and was wondering why we wait all year to be "Thankful?" We are not the pilgrims that nearly starved to death the previous year, giving thanks for a bountiful harvest that will ensure our survival through the winter.

Most people never experience that type of thankfulness, even on the one day set aside by our Nation.
After all, how many of us rely on our own planting to feed ourselves? When was the last time you met a real farmer?

For myself, my veggies come from the supermarket produce and freezer sections. (I don't use canned anymore except for tomatoes and baked beans, now and then.) I don't have to hunt for food, or raise a pig or calf to provide meat for the table. No, Publix is good for meat and produce.

So, for what else should we be thankful? How about EVERYTHING? And how about being thankful, EVERYDAY? The Lord provides for us everyday, and we should thank him everyday, for everything we have. Did you wake up this morning? Be thankful. Did you have food for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Be thankful. Do you have a roof over your head? Be thankful. Do you have a job to go to on Monday? Be thankful. How about a car to get around in? Be thankful.

Psalms 107:1, 118:1, “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever!”

All through the Psalms you'll find words of thanksgiving to God. For that matter, a great deal is said, in the Old Testament, about thanking God for all we have. The New Testament as well. In Hebrews 13:15-16 says,

Through him [then] let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

Prayer and thanksgiving should be as much a part of our day as breathing. The more we pray, the more we will be blessed with things of which to be thankful. Our Lord likes to be appreciated, and no matter how many times we screw up, he'll still forgive us if we ask, and bless us if we pray.

St. Paul instructs us to pray unceasingly. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, " Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."
And how do we do that, you ask? It can be as simple as a single sentence that we pray through out the day. It will keep God in the forefront of our thoughts and make for a better day in general. I found this simple prayer called the "Jesus Prayer".

Simply say, " O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." , whenever a negative thought crosses your mind, like when that annoying person at work says something negative to or about you. Just let it go, and pray the prayer. Repeat it until the desire to knock the daylights out of them goes away. You know what I'm saying, we've all been there at some point. It might take all day!

In the Gospels, repeatedly you see Jesus going off to pray. He was God's Son, so what did he have to pray for? Everything! He was human too, with all the same annoyances that we have to endure. I imagine him thanking God for allowing him to teach the people. He probably asked for strength to to endure the hardships of traveling, the roads were long and they traveled on foot. There wasn't always a house to stop and sleep in, the distance between towns could be two to three days walk or more. He prayed for the courage to enter Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday and that night in the garden.

What do you have to be thankful for today? Have you been blessed? Do you share your blessings with others less fortunate?

This past Thursday, I spent at church, attending Mass and then the Thanksgiving Day Dinner we offer to the community. I helped make some of the food, cooking all day on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm not employed at the moment but I still feel the need to share my time and talents, so this was my offering to the Lord. Afterward, I came home and prepared another meal for my husband and myself.

Now I'm resting, knitting gifts for my family and relaxing for a couple days. The Lord provides, and I give thanks.

I do find it hard at times to remember Paul's instructions, I'm still working on it. Holiness is not easy, you have to work at it and practice, practice, practice. Do you have a prayer routine? Could you share it here with me and my readers? Perhaps you can help those of us, like me, that have trouble forming habits. Bad habits seem to come easy, but good habits always take longer. Have you noticed that?

Starting now, I will pray the "Jesus Prayer", " O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." or a shorter form "Lord Jesus, Have Mercy on me." everyday along with my "Hail Mary's", "Our Father's". I try to always say a Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday. I say them when I walk the dog, sit to knit, or during my morning coffee.

Another way to pray, is with songs of praise. I always have a CD or a Christian radio station tuned in my car. I can be seen driving around singing to the top of my lungs, a hand raised in praise of God. I don't care who sees me, I keep right on singing at the traffic stop. One of my favorite songs is one by Kitty Cleveland, called "Now you come to me.", on her "God will Provide" album and the CD from Lighthouse. It is about the moment when we leave this earth and Jesus comes to meet us. "What glory, what majesty, my Lord you are Mercy!" You can't help but smile when you sing it, and my hands just open up in praise. There is also a new Catholic Music CD, "Praying Twice" with some incredible songs on it.