May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with blessings!
The following reflection is a paraphrased summary inspired by the meditation on gratitude in Divine Intimacy.
We could never repay God for all He’s given us—not even close. But we can do something: we can be grateful. Think of a poor man who receives help he could never pay back. The least he can do is say “thank you.” That’s us with God. Every good thing in our lives is from Him, and the one thing He asks is that we use those blessings to show our thanks.
Scripture even tells us: “In all things give thanks.”
But how often people forget to do this! Jesus noticed it too. Ten lepers were healed, yet only one came back to say thank you. And strangely, it was the outsider—the one who seemed least likely—who remembered. The others, who had every reason to recognize Jesus’ kindness, didn’t bother.
St. Teresa points out that great blessings can sometimes make people less grateful, not more. When we forget to thank God, we miss out on even greater graces—just like the nine lepers who missed hearing Jesus say, “Your faith has made you whole.”
A grateful heart is a blessed heart.
Some inspirational quotes
Mothers, on Thanksgiving, know how very special you are. You are the essence, the heart of your home. Your smile lightens the burdens, your words brighten the hearts of those who will be part of your festivities. The tone of this special family time is set by you! We, as mothers, are privileged to have such an important part in the making of our homes! May your day be filled with grace and love!
This Thanksgiving let us offer up our little inconveniences, our stresses, our fatigue for those less fortunate than ourselves. And, on the flip side, let’s start becoming more aware of the little things and thanking God for them.
“After committing a fault of whatever kind, rather than withdrawing into ourselves indefinitely in discouragement and dwelling on the memory, we must immediately return to God with confidence and even thank Him for the good that His mercy will be able to draw out of this fault!
We must know that one of the weapons that the devil uses most commonly to prevent souls from advancing toward God is precisely to try to make them lose their peace and discourage them by the sight of their faults.”
Searching For and Maintaining Peace, Fr. Jacques Philippe
Thank God for His many blessings. Make the most of each and every day. Enjoy the journey. The world will keep whizzing by but we must take time to smell the roses. Each day is a gift, each person in your life is special. Take nothing for granted.
“For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy!” ❤❤❤-St. Therese of Lisieux
Let him know you appreciate all the little things he does. It is easy to just expect things from him, with nary a thanks or a smile. This is not the way to nurture a relationship. Go the extra mile….always be grateful…..and let him know that you are! 
Be thankful. Smile. When you catch yourself becoming irritated or disturbed at circumstances, stop and laugh at the little things that steal your peace. Count your blessings and learn to be appreciative. Cicero once said, “A grateful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”
Discussing the dynamics of Catholic family life…
Coming right up! The Christmas St. Andrew Powerful Novena! Available here.
Make a statement with this lovely and graceful “Our Lady ofGuadalupe” handcrafted apron….fully lined….made with care. Aprons tell a beautiful story…..a story of love and sacrifice….of baking bread and mopping floors, of planting seeds and household chores. Sadly, many women have tossed the aprons aside and donned their business attire. Wear your apron with joy….it is a symbol of Femininity….”Finer” Femininity! 🌺 💗 Available here.
Author Mary Reed Newland here draws on her own experiences as the mother of seven to show how the classic Christian principles of sanctity can be translated into terms easily applied to children even to the very young.
Because it’s rooted in experience, not in theory, nothing that Mrs. Newland suggests is impossible or extraordinary. In fact, as you reflect on your experiences with your own children, you’ll quickly agree that hers is an excellent commonsense approach to raising good Catholic children.
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, the renowned author of The Hidden Power of Kindness, gives faithful Catholics all the essential ingredients of a stable and loving Catholic marriage and family — ingredients that are in danger of being lost in our turbulent age.
Using Scripture and Church teachings in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step format, Fr. Lovasik helps you understand the proper role of the Catholic father and mother and the blessings of family. He shows you how you can secure happiness in marriage, develop the virtues necessary for a successful marriage, raise children in a truly Catholic way, and much more.
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A blest day to you and yours!
When a family is close, these events are very joyful; and when they are not, it is very difficult.
Praying today is a good day like it shows in all those pictures you post. 😇🍁
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too! 🤎
Beautiful family pictures!! I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving. Happy Advent!