One of the most memorable homilies I ever heard was just one sentence long. Following the Gospel story of the healing of 10 lepers, in which only one returns to Jesus to express gratitude, the priest’s commentary was exceedingly brief but impactful:
“When you pray to God,” he said, “do you say ‘thank you’ as much as you say ‘please’?”
The priest then returned to the chair, yielding time for us to contemplate this question in silence.
So often, we turn to God in prayer when we need something for ourselves or others — strength to face a challenge, guidance in decision-making, healing for body or mind, help with a relationship, and so on. This instinct to bring petitions (saying “please”) is good and holy; it acknowledges that God is all-powerful and cares deeply for each of us.
But there is another category of prayer that we must attend to: prayer of thanksgiving (saying “thank you”). If you’re like me, this type is all too infrequent. I rarely get beyond petitions for all the things I want and need!
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, many of us naturally become more oriented toward gratitude, using this time of year to “count our blessings” and perhaps to add a bit more thankfulness into our prayer life.
“A Catholic virtue of gratitude says, ‘I don’t like this situation, but I trust that there is some good that God is working through it that I cannot see yet.’ ”
— Dr. Karen Shadle
That’s wonderful, but we all know that life is full of ups and downs, and some years are lean. If I could expand the priest’s homily, I would add this small nuance: An attitude of gratitude is not just for good news and good times. We are called to offer thanksgiving to God in times of suffering, also.
When we witness suffering in the world or experience it ourselves, it seems unnatural to say “thank you.” Nevertheless, the apostle Paul reminds us in First Thessalonians to “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (5:16-18). Paul speaks from the heart as someone who endured torture, trials and imprisonment.
Paul doesn’t pretend to be happy about pain, sorrow or outright evil. Rather, he says that we must be grateful that God, in his infinite mercy, takes even our suffering and brings good from it. A Catholic virtue of gratitude says, “I don’t like this situation, but I trust that there is some good that God is working through it that I cannot see yet.”
This orientation in prayer is so much more than simply counting one’s blessings.
One of the greatest expressions of Catholic gratitude is the Eucharist, a word that itself means “thanksgiving.” The celebration of the Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.
It does not require us to come loaded with happiness and good vibes. The Eucharist welcomes suffering, heartache, and confusion. This, too, is a worthy offering of praise and gratitude.
This holiday season, as you approach the Eucharist, come as you are, with every blessing and every burden, rejoicing always and in all circumstances giving thanks.
Dr. Karen Shadle is director of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Worship.
