Everyone gathers around the table. The steaming aroma of roast
bird and all the trimmings wafts around the room. And then comes
the dreaded question:
”
Who wants to say grace?
”
For many people it’s often an awkward moment. No one volunteers.
There’s some fidgeting.
Everyone gathers around the table. The steaming aroma of roast bird and all the trimmings wafts around the room. And then comes the dreaded question: “Who wants to say grace?”
For many people it’s often an awkward moment. No one volunteers. There’s some fidgeting.
Inevitably, someone always appoints me for the duty.
“Marty, you’re so good with words,” the nominator says. “Why don’t you say a prayer of thanks?”
So, almost to get it over with and get on with the feast, I take on the mission. We bow our heads, and I mumble what amounts to a laundry list of our bounty. But it never feels right. It never feels honest. And the irony is, that moment of pause before we dig into the victuals is what the day is all about. It’s about sincere appreciation of our blessings.
It’s about expressing an “attitude of gratitude.”
I’ve found I’m not the only person who feels discomfort at the moment of “saying grace.” Plenty of people I know have pretty much given up the practice of Thanksgiving prayer. The reason: we’re always caught off guard by the moment.
But this year will be different. This year when someone nominates me, I’ll be prepared. I’ve got my Thanksgiving grace all ready – courtesy of Boys and Girl’s Town which last month sent me a little card with quite a cleverly written grace printed on it.
And, for the benefit of other South Valley turkey-eaters this Thursday who might need a bit of inspiration for their moments of grace, this newspaper has asked several local religious organizations to share their own brief prayers of gratitude to be said at the Thanksgiving table.
Here then, are their submissions:
Prayer of Thanks
Shared by Imam Ilyas Anwar of the South Valley Islamic Community
Thank you God for all your blessings and bounties.
Thank you for the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky. Thank you for our families and friends. Thank you for the food that we eat and the water that we drink.
Thank you for all of the gifts of love which you give to all of us: Our friends, our families, our children, our co-workers and all whom we encounter.
Thank you for filling our hearts with endless love and gratitude, and thank you, always, for the Earth beneath us.
We take this time, now to thank you, so very much, for the abundance of everything that we have now, in this moment, and in all moments past, present and future.
Thank you for being with us on this day.
Celtic Prayer of Thanks
shared by Father Edward Fitz-Henry of Mission San Juan Bautista
For the night followed by the day
For the idle winter ground followed by the energy of spring
For the infolding of the earth followed by births of unfolding,
Thanks be to you, O God.
For the rest and wakefulness, stillness and creativity, reflection and action,
Thanks be to you.
Let me know now in my own soul and body the rhythms of creativity that you have established.
Let me know in my family and friendships the disciplines of withdrawal and the call to engagement.
Let me know for my world the cycles of renewal given by you for healing and health, the pattern of the seasons given by you for the birth of new life.
Thanksgiving Grace
shared by the Morgan Hill Buddhist
Community Center
Before we prepare for yet another joyful Thanksgiving, let’s pause for a moment and count our blessings.
We are truly blessed by our peace and freedom. For this, we remain eternally grateful to those who fought and continue to fight to preserve democracy.
We’re blessed by being able to gather for Thanksgiving with abundance of food and joy. For this, we thank our ancestors who worked hard to ensure good life for all of us.
We’re also blessed by being able provide an environment in which our families can grow. For this, we thank every one of you who play a role in your own way to make this community a better place to live.
The Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center extends best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Prayer
From Father Flannagan’s Boys’ Home (www.girlsandboystown.org)
Lord,
We humbly ask Thy blessing
On the turkey and the dressing,
On the yams and the cranberry jelly,
And the pickles from the deli.
Bless the apple pie and tea,
Bless each and every calorie.
Let us enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.
Tomorrow we can all get thinner.
For all Thy help along the way
We’re thankful this Thanksgiving day.
We’re thankful too, for all our dear ones,
For all the far away and near ones.
Although we may be far apart,
We’re together in my heart.
Keep us in thy loving care,
This is my Thanksgiving prayer.
P.S. Anyone who wishes
May help with the dishes.
