It was the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Well, that is because I am using a laptop with a touchpad. I do, however, think there is a mouse or hamster running in place in one of those hamster wheels when this old laptop of mine reboots.
But I shouldn’t complain. I just had a nice dinner. I am at peace in my recliner. There is a college hoops basketball game to monitor on my 50” HD television set, and an extended holiday weekend has just begun. Living alone, I think so many times I find myself murmuring about this and that, much like the Israelites wandering through the desert. I will admit, the daily grind can take its toll on me, but there is also much to be thankful for. And that is what this post is about, gratitude and thanksgiving.
Thanks be to God! That is how I start my day is telling Jesus I am thankful for the blessings I have received from him today and in my life. All good things come from God. And all roads lead back to God.
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. John 12:32
Not only do I want to stop and think about the many things I am thankful for, but I also want to share with you what the New Testament has to say about gratitude.
Let’s start off with the word gratitude. Gratitude is mentioned two (2) times in the New Testament. Source: USCCB’s Bible translation.
The word gratitude means being thankful, and appreciative. The greek word is charis.
Here is the first verse:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16
I had mentioned the Israelites murmuring in the desert, but they also honored the Lord in ancient times singing songs of praise. It was a tradition for them. The early Church carried on the tradition of singing songs of praise to God by adopting the Psalter as her songbook. Visit any Benedictine monastery, and you will find that psalms and hymns of praise are still being sung by the Catholic Church today.
What is more pleasing than a psalm? – St. Ambrose
Go to any parish for Mass and you will most likely find yourself singing songs of praise, especially during the Eucharistic liturgy. And the word Eucharist means thanksgiving.
One of my favorite liturgical hymns of praise is, “All Creatures of Our God and King” written by St. Francis of Assisi. I actually just found out it was written by St. Francis.
Just for a moment, put the grind and the murmurings of this world behind you. And think about the appearance of Christ. Think about Jesus approaching you with his angels in all of his holiness and glory. A crucified Christ has risen! He has saved us who believe in Him. All praise and thanksgiving be to God!
What words can adequately describe God’s gifts? They are so numerous that they defy enumeration. They are so great that any one of them demands our total gratitude in response. – St. Basil
Here is a link to the song. Feel yourself being drawn to the Lord, experiencing the appearance of Christ’s goodness and everlasting glory in St. Francis’s song of praise.
All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
that givest man both warmth and light,
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
That is the beauty of Sacred Scripture. Just meditating on one Bible Verse can change the course of your day and even change the course of your entire life.
With lifted spirits and grateful hearts in Christ let us look at the second verse containing the word gratitude in the New Testament.
Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28
I can’t help but add the next verse in for theological support.
for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
Maybe St. Francis wrote his hymn of praise with this verse from Hebrews in mind. The world, the flesh and the devil can shake us up and bring us down, but they all melt like wax before the kingdom of Christ. How blessed we are to be invited to be a part of that kingdom and rise above the stubble and rubble.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Of the many joys that are found in the kingdom of heaven, the greatest seems to me to be the sense of tranquility and wellbeing that we shall experience when we are free from all concerns for earthly things. – St. Teresa of Avila
That day of union with Jesus is something to look forward to. Communion with Jesus is something to be thankful for in our hearts with an unending attitude of gratitude. May the blood of Christ be on our lips and the peace of Christ be in our hearts both now and forever more. Amen.
a consuming fire: God is a raging fire of love and holiness, which is warming and purifying to the saints (Lk 3:16; 1 Pet 1:6-7) but searing and punishing to the sinner (Heb 10:26-27). The imagery comes from Deut 4:24. Source: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament RSV