Thanksgiving Prayers and Blessings this Time of Year

This is the time of year we give thanks and praise. It’s the season of giving. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season. We gather with family and friends to celebrate. Food preparations and meal planning all comes to its pinnacle. Now it’s time to enjoy the meal.

As families gather around the table, many will offer a prayer of thanksgiving. Some traditions will have everyone go around the table and say what they are most thankful for. Others will have the head of the household speak a blessing over the food. While many gather and offer their prayers and blessings, many others are sitting alone this thanksgiving. Some may have had a bitter year filled with loss and tragedies. They are grateful for getting through it. While most Americans are comforted by friends, family, food and shelter, others are not so lucky.

All around the world there are people suffering, hurting, and starving. Yet during this giving season, people start to shine. They bring baskets and grocery bags filling food pantries. They adopt a family for the holiday so they may give back to those in need.

When my mom was alive, she lived in a nursing home. During the holidays, people would visit the elderly there. They would bring deserts, they would sing and offer entertainment. The director of the nursing home told me she had so many offers she had to turn people away. Her criticism was that during the rest of the year they hardly would visit but during the holiday it was a tight schedule of entertainers and visitors.

If we consider ourselves lucky then perhaps we should consider ourselves blessed. The health scare we experienced all turned out OK. The family came home to visit and our hearts were overwhelmed. We have more food on the table than we can eat. We have laughter in our homes and many have the football games on their flat screens. We have much to be thankful. Our blessings overflow. Right now, this minute we set aside our worries and be thankful for the blessings from Our Lord. We just need to look around and appreciate these moments.