Prayer for the World November 22, 2023

THANKSGIVING

Introduction

For our Contemplative Prayer for the World today we will focus on Thanksgiving.

As we celebrate our National Holiday of Thanksgiving, it is fitting that we gather

to offer prayers of gratitude and petition. We will begin with the first words of

Psalm 118, Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, Confitemini Domino quoniam

bonus. God has blessed us with life and provided more than we could ever

imagine!

Mantra: Confitemini Domino, Taize', Youtube.com

Focus of Our Prayer:

Let us ponder briefly the act of giving thanks. How is it that we as a Nation have a special day dedicated to thanks-giving?

In 1789, George Washington declared Thursday, Nov. 26, a Thanksgiving holiday, but only for that year. It was President Lincoln that later declared it an annual Holiday on the 4th Thursday of November. For Washington it was intended as, and I quote, a "public thanksgiving and prayer" devoted to "the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."

Ilia Delio shares this observation about St. Francis' attitude of thanksgiving: Because he encountered the manifold gifts of God in the everyday experiences of life, Francis lived with a deep sense of gratitude. And so we, look forward to gathering around the table tomorrow to share God's gifts and celebrate God's goodness with a deep sense of gratitude. And we pray for those who are lonely or in need of food, with the hope that others will reach out to them in their need.

Silent Prayer