In 1789, President George Washington, at the request of both Houses of Congress, issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation. In their request, Congress asked the president, “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God…” 

 

Even more shocking than Congress working together is the clarity with which they recognized the imperative to give thanks. In his proclamation, Washington praised God for both the gifts He had given the nation and for who God is. A similar pattern is seen throughout Scriptures especially in the Psalms and teachings of Jesus. “Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all His gifts…” (Ps 103:1-5). 

 

In gratitude there are two movements. The first is the recognition of the gift and the benefit it provides us. The second, and greater, movement is the recognition of the goodness of the giver. Both parts of gratitude are good and necessary, but there is a primacy to the latter because it recognizes the agent of the good. Jesus tells us the poor widow’s gift of two small coins was the greatest contribution because of her heart (Mk 12:41-44).

 

The action of giving reveals the heart of the giver. As we explored last month, love is wanting another’s greatest good for their own sake. A gift is an action to accomplish the good of another; therefore, gift and love are intimately united. Both God’s natural gifts in creation and supernatural gifts of His Beloved Son and the Holy Spirt reveal His heart. It is one of superabundant and incomprehensible love. The only proper response to His love is our love. This begins with gratitude and awe. 

 

In his Confessions, St. Augustine said because we were made for God, we “delight in praising” Him. When we praise and thank God, it brings us joy and peace. I had the opportunity to put this to the test. During a period of great uncertainty and difficulty in our family, my pastor encouraged me to make a list to God of all the things I was grateful for. I began with simple things: clean water, the smell of fresh-cut grass, cheesecake, and moved up to greater things like friends, family, the Eucharist, and salvation. At the end of the exercise, I had pages of things I was grateful for and what’s more, I had a deep peace. In recalling the ways God had blessed me, I found security in His goodness. There was a certitude that no matter what happened, He would provide. 

 

Gratefulness is necessary for happiness. To see the inverse of this, all we must do is look at a time in our life when we were caught up in the pursuit of more, whether it was more material goods, money, popularity, or pleasure. More is never enough, and gratitude is quickly replaced by entitlement, resentment, jealousy, and misery. 

 

Believing that more will make us happy is a cruel trap that humanity repeatedly falls into. Today, it is terribly ironic that we have a national day of Thanksgiving that is immediately followed by a frenzied day of shopping. As a people, we have barely finished saying “thank you,” and we are already asking for more.

 

True happiness and contentment are found in God alone. St. Augustine continued, “our hearts are restless till they find rest in Him.” (Confessions 1,1.5.)

 

The prelude to the Eucharistic prayer sums it up: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord…” We owe God gratitude, but that gratitude is also life-giving. As a nation and people of faith, let us adore God and recall the gifts He has lavishly poured out on us, and ready our hearts to meet the heart of the giver who truly satisfies.