Sister Maria Fitzpatrick, OP 

Thanksgiving Liturgy
Sansbury Care Center
November 22, 2007

I wish each of you every blessing on this beautiful Thanksgiving Day at St. Catharine. 

Woven throughout the readings of today's liturgy is the repeated theme of giving thanks to god, the giver of all good gifts, and giving thanks to one another for our exchange of gifts.  Paul emphasizes giving joyfully as God loves a cheerful giver.  The unity of the whole human race that Paul desires so ardently is a gift that God has given us in the Resurrection.

In our home in Greeley, Nebraska, Thanksgiving dinner was always a festive occasion.  My father would give the blessing, and mother would ask each of us to thank God for something or somebody.  For my Grandfather, it was always the Catholic Faith.  all of us would chime in with a variety of thank-yous, especially remembering our beloved pastor, Father Feeney, and our beloved teachers, the Dominican Sisters.

It is striking in today's Gospel that the ten lepers were healed.  However, the only grateful on received no more than the others, except the assurance of the Lord, "Your faith has made you well."  Nor did the others lose what they had received.  That is not God's way.  God's gifts are free, just for the asking, with no strings attached.  Even if we are faithless, God is faithful.

The great scientist and philosopher, Albert Schweitzer, tells us that we have to love what we receive to truly give thanks.  Thanksgiving is Thanks-living.  It is gratitude in action.  Ingratitude is probably the most common of all human failings.  Shakespeare admonishes in one of his sonnets:

                                                    Blow, blow thou winter wind;
                                                    Thou are not so unkind as Man's ingratitude.

God in His wisdom knows our needs, large and small, better than we do.  However, before we can be truly grateful, we have to be aware of our needs, especially our need for Him.  The miracles that Jesus worked often to help those in great need.  "How blessed are those who know their needs."  Jesus said so long ago on a hilltop in Galilee.  Today, he is giving us the same message.  Blessed are those who know their needs and are grateful to the Lord when they are fulfilled.-- Maria Fitzpatrick, OP Thanksgiving, 2007

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