The words Eucharisto means I am thankful. Psalm 106, like many of the Psalms, encourages us to give thanks - give thanks to the Lord, his love endures forever. When Jesus takes bread, as in Luke 22, he gives thanks and then he breaks it. The apostle Paul encourages us to give thanks in all circumstances. Yet giving thanks is sometimes easier said than done. After Jesus healed the 10 people with leprosy, only one came back and gave thanks. Thanksgiving is a bit like forgiveness. It benefits the person giving thanks as well as the one receiving it. The more thankfulness becomes part of our lives, the more we become thankful people. Thankfulness is life-giving and, while thanksgiving can be directed towards others, it is ultimately also directed towards God.
Habits of the heart, like thanksgiving, take practice. Johnson Oatman in his 1987 hymn encourages us to count our blessings and to name them one by one.Maybe over the next month you might like to try doing this by using this thanksgiving journal. Each day note down ten blessings, ten things to give thanks for. Some ideas and prompts are given on the next page. You also might like to add images and poems and bible passages to this booklet to remind you of the things you give thanks for.