Fog fascinates me. It is as mysterious as it is
real. My fascination began with the children's book FOG MAGIC by Julia L.
Sauer that I used to read each year to the class I was teaching. From
then on, I enjoyed a walk in the fog when it would appear. Our
monastery, situated on the hill overlooking the Ohio River, often
experiences fog in the morning, Recently, the fog encased the
monastery so much so that one could not see even the building that was a
stone's throw away. Seeing only grey looking out the windows, I whispered, "Thank you God for your creativity. Thank
you for the colors of our world."
That fog inspired this blog about
thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, our American holiday, is a
wonderful tradition. A day family and friends
gather to give thanks for God's blessings. But, to be thankful
is not just a one day thing. It is an attitude. It is
a positive way of thinking and acting. A smile, a kindness extended,
a word that encourages, a simple "thank you." Those two little
words most often return to the sender.
Eucharist is thanksgiving at its
utmost. The Scripture readings for Thanksgiving Day Mass are filled with
the blessings of God. In the reading from Sirach, "we bless the God
who has done wondrous things on earth" and ask "that God grant us joy
of heart, peace and goodness that endures."
The Responsorial Psalm picks up the theme
with the words, "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and
compassionate to all God's works." In Paul's first Letter to the
Corinthians he tells them to "thank God for the grace bestowed on them in
Jesus Christ which enriches them in every way. God is faithful!"
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus
tells the man who was cured of possession to "Go home
to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his kindness has done
for you."
Cultivating an "attitude of
gratitude" can open our eyes to see how many times a day God
blesses us. Thankfulness gets us "out of the fog" to
see the beauty in each person and each experience we have.Thankfulness
does become more than a one day thing. More than just a once a
year celebration.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL YEAR LONG!
Sr. Kathleen Ryan, OSB
This is one of my favorite feasts because of my great love for the Eucharist. I think that if you
True the Eucharist is a mystery. We do not grasp its full meaning. We have only glimpses of its meaning. We grasp instinctively. We know that the Eucharist can and does change our lives. As the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ, we who receive the Eucharist are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. Collectively we call this the Church, the body of Christ (St. Paul).
