Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - November 24, 2022
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
Thanksgiving Day
Psalm 92: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to make music to your name, O most high."
Psalm 25: "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul."
Psalm 145: "I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name for ever and ever. I will bless you day after day.... The Lord is great and highly to be praised; his greatness cannot be measured."
Those not familiar with the Psalms still hear or sing such Psalm verses, at least at Mass. They usually are like the opening verses quoted here: words of praise to God, exclamations about God's greatness, and thanksgiving. Usually nothing about Bill's cancer, that mass shooting or war in the Middle East. Some might say: "nothing practical." Many must think: "Why bother, God doesn't need praises, they’re just a waste of good time and energy." But we need them!
Most of us have gone through a phase in our younger life when we were repeatedly asked after receiving a gift: "Now what do you say?” Learning the answer was meant to teach us gratitude. Similarly, thanksgiving for our existence, for this universe, for our life, for friends, for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus -- thanksgiving for all this most frequently must be learned.
Left to ourselves we take everything, life, parents’ love and care, friends, benefactors, mentors, for granted. Some reflection should tell us that they are anything but to be presumed. All is a gift, a gift from the Creator. Gratitude is only the appropriate response.
Psalm 30: “And so my soul sings Psalms to you unceasingly. O Lord, my God, I will thank you forever.”
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
