From The Bishop

On Jan. 31, 1957, the Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey, issued a proclamation stating: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed will be observed each year on the second Monday of October." (Wikipedia). Our nation will celebrate this holiday on Monday. Over the years, Thanksgiving Day has evolved to include more than just gratitude for the produce of the land. We are encouraged to give thanks for all of the blessings that we have received as individuals and as a nation. From a Christian perspective, having a grateful heart is not just reserved for Thanksgiving Day. God wants us to develop an "attitude of gratitude" that influences our whole life. We find an example of this in the Gospel of Luke. "On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, 10 lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' When he saw them, he said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, 'Were not 10 made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' Then he said to him, 'Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.'" (Lk. 17:11-19). From this passage we see that gratitude is not always the response to an act of kindness. It is not easy to have a grateful heart. Jesus performed a miracle in healing these men of their incurable illness. They had experienced great physical and emotional pain throughout their lives. I am sure that they were overjoyed that they "were made clean;" however, only one offered thanks. [caption id="attachment_10624" align="alignright" width="343"] Vincent Massey, while governor general in 1957, issued a declaration making the second Monday of October a day of thanksgiving. Bishop Gerard Bergie writes we should enter this year’s holiday with an “attitude of gratitude” which should carry on throughout the year. - Norman James[/caption] What was probably most shocking to those around Jesus was that this individual was also a foreigner. This Samaritan had learned what it means to be filled with gratitude. He offered his thanks by praising God. Could it be that the other nine thought that because they experienced such a hard life they deserved to be healed by Jesus? Did they not need to be grateful for what was owed to them? We know that this spirit of 'entitlement' is also prevalent in our world today. This attitude can be very disturbing. We have all heard people say, "I deserve this," or "I am entitled to this." They justify their actions based on an inflated sense of self. They seem to act as if the world owes them everything and they offer very little in return. This way of looking at things often leads to bitterness and sadness. The Christian faith teaches us that we deserve nothing, for all is a gift from God. If it were merited, then it would not be a gift. This Thanksgiving, let us try to have an 'attitude of gratitude.' Let us take the time to consider all of the good things in life and see them as a gift from God. Let us also be grateful for the blessings that come to us as citizens of Canada. With a spirit of gratitude rather than entitlement, let us pray for the wisdom to build a future that brings peace and hope to everyone. Source: St. Catharines Standard