Prayer of Thanksgiving

Prayer of Thanksgiving

O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills 
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.

We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of summer fields,
And taste the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of snow,
And smell the breath of spring.

Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
Save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thorn bush
Is aflame with your glory.

O God our creator,
Bless this feast and all who partake of it.
Keep us mindful of those who are in need of food, safety, companionship or justice, and bless our efforts to be of practical help to them.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, our brother and Lord, Amen.

(NCEA, 2010)   

Blessings Box

Each month, we send out a newsletter to families with faith sharing ideas for the month. This November, our idea was a "blessing box". A family could create a box which would be kept on the kitchen table (or where ever the family eats together). And at each evening meal, blessings from the day would be shared, written on pieces of paper, and placed in the box. On Thanksgiving day, the blessings could be shared with the entire family as they gather for their feast. The Rak girls made this box for their family and shared the photo with us!