As we Americans prepare for our celebrations of Thanksgiving this week (it’s time to thaw the turkey a.s.a.p. if you haven’t started already, by the way), may we be reminded of the Ultimate Real Food and the reason for all our gratitude.

As we gather with our families to give thanks, let us remember to Whom we need to give our thanks, for granting us our lives and families.

As we travel to our holiday celebrations, let us pray for safety and remember the path that Christ walked to sacrifice Himself for us.

As we set the table with plates and forks, let us be conscious that we are the vessels God chooses to carry His Son’s Body after Mass.

As we devour the turkey and all its trimmings, may we keep in mind the fact that we also consume Our Lord in the Eucharist, the Ultimate Thanksgiving Feast.

The word Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistia which means good favor or giving thanks.  It comes from the Last Supper, when Christ lifted the bread and the cup and gave thanks to the Father.  The fourth Thursday in November hardly holds a candle to the daily Sacrifice of the Mass.

Do you preserve an attitude of gratitude when you receive the Ultimate Gift, the Ultimate Real Food, in the celebration of the Ultimate Thanksgiving Feast?

Doesn't this look a little like your family's Thanksgiving gathering?

I encourage you to bring Jesus to your family’s Thanksgiving meal, hopefully even beyond the meal blessing into the conversation around the table.  Don’t just “be thankful”.  Thank HIM.

I encourage you, too, to bring your thanksgiving mindset to Mass with you.  How much can you think of to be thankful for when you celebrate Mass?

Here’s my partial list:

• I am grateful for God’s sacrifice, of His only Son, for my sin.
• I honor Jesus for giving his Body and Blood to save my soul and those I love (and don’t love!).
• For my Guardian Angel (and the fleet that are clearly protecting my busy children from harm!)
• For Tradition, that I have the opportunity to benefit from 2,000 years of Catholic teaching
• For my family
• For my breath, my talents, my opportunities for humility
• For my beloved friends
• For the innocence of children…My two favorite Eucharist stories:
  • When my son was somewhere around 18-24 mos., he had Chex cereal as a snack in church.  I looked down and realized that he was holding each piece up in the air in front of his face, bowing his head, placing the cereal deliberately into his other palm, and consuming it.  !!!  Proud mama!  Some kids play G-I-Joe, my kid’s playing “priest.”
  • My daughter has become curious about what is in my mouth lately, and when I receive communion she tries to get her fingers in there, saying, “Zhee-zus!”  If only we all were so curious and had such yearning to get our hands on a little Jesus!

Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving!  Don’t forget to get out the Advent wreath before you leave for the weekend…Sunday is the first day of Advent! Try to choose something that your family will do to increase/enhance your prayer lives every day this Advent, and prepare any resources you’ll need starting now.

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Start at the beginning of this series here.

Advent Daily Dose starts next Monday!

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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Photo sources:  close-up of host from sheflin_photo, One Bread, One Body from mike52ad, vessels from Bea Kotecka, Eucharistic table from Leo Cloma

Gratituesdays at Heavenly Homemakers