Blessed, not entitled

November 16, 2007

My dear friends,

What will you be giving thanks for at your Thanksgiving table this year?

Your life? Your health? Your family? Your friends?

If we really think about it, the things we most value are not our material possessions. The car, the boat, the house, the jewelry, the furniture, the designer clothes — all of what we have purchased — pales in comparison with what God has given us.

Life itself is a gift from our Creator. We did nothing to “earn” our lives. We do nothing to “deserve” to live. Stripped of life, all our material possessions lose their meaning.

So many people who have battled serious diseases say as much: The diagnosis changed their lives. It opened their eyes to what is truly important.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where the material seems to be paramount. So often we are overwhelmed by our possessions — so much to look after, take care of, insure, secure, repair, replace. The more technology takes over our lives, does it not seem as if we are possessed by our possessions?

How many clocks and watches and timers did you have to “fall back” when we switched from daylight savings time?

How many credit cards do you carry in your wallet and, consequently, how many different bills do you have to keep track of each month?

Cell phones are wonderful and we could not live without computers, but how much of our time is spent with machines? How often do they interrupt our moments of respite or leisure or prayer?

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to remember what is truly important in our lives. It is a time to gather with the people we love and simply be together. It is a time to remember that simply “being” is the greatest gift of all.

That is why Thanksgiving is rightly a religious tradition, dating back to Old Testament times. It is a moment to acknowledge the God who created us all out of love, and who continues to love us despite our lack of reciprocity.

In this age of “me-first,” when everybody feels entitled to everything, Thanksgiving is a timely reminder that we are blessed, not entitled. Our lives, our loves, our families are gifts from an almighty and ever-loving God who also gave us the talent to succeed in the material sense of the word.

But as Jesus told his disciples: “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span?” (Mt 6:25-27).

Remind yourselves — and your children — of that the next time you are overwhelmed by the desire for a new car, or a new computer, or another video game, or a new iPod, or another piece of designer clothing.

“All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6:32-33).

May you take the time this Thanksgiving to truly reflect on and thank God for your blessings. May you use this holiday to cultivate an attitude of gratitude that lasts more than a day, because acknowledging our blessings and the one who blesses us every day is the key to true happiness. Happy Thanksgiving!

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