Beginning your Thanksgiving celebration with prayer is a wonderful idea. There is truly so much to be thankful for.
Here are four prayers that can help center Thanksgiving day around the spirit of gratitude. You can even include one before your Thanksgiving dinner!
Gratitude Prayer of Saint Thomas Aquinas
“O God, grant that whatever good things I have, I may share generously with those who have not, and whatever good things I do not have, I may request humbly from those who do.”
Ignatian Prayer for Generosity
“Eternal Word, only begotten Son of God,
Teach me true generosity,
Teach me to serve you as you deserve,
To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labor without seeking rest,
To sacrifice myself without thought of any reward,
Save the knowledge that I have done your will.
Amen.”
Thanksgiving Day Prayer
“Lord, we thank you for the goodness of our people
and for the spirit of justice that fills this nation.
We thank you for the beauty and fullness
of the land and the challenges of the cities.We thank you for our work and our rest,
for one another, and for our homes.
We thank you, Lord:
accept our thanksgiving on this day.
We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.”
Prayer Source: USCCB
Traditional Catholic Thanksgiving Prayer
“Good and gracious God,
we give You thanks today,
as we do all days,
first and foremost for the gift of creation
and the gift of life.
We ask You to bless this food,
that it may nourish us and sustain us,
and strengthen our ability to do Your will.
We pray in thanksgiving
for all the hands involved
in bringing it to our table.
You tell us, Lord,
that to whom much is given,
much is expected.
May this meal and the fellowship we enjoy
not only serve as clear reminders of Your love of us,
but of Your call for us to share Your love
and to serve our brothers and sisters,
especially those most in need.
We ask this as we ask all things, through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.”
Prayer Source: Hallow