“The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains. It is called Eucharist “because it is an action of thanksgiving to God. The Greek words eucharistein and eulogein recall the Jewish blessings that proclaim —especially during a meal— God’s works: creation, redemption, and sanctification.”

“The name ‘Eucharist,’ or thanksgiving, is to be explained either by the fact that at its institution Christ “gave thanks,” or by the fact that this is the supreme act of Christian gratitude to God,” writes Jesuit Fr. John A. Hardon in his Catholic Catechism. “Early instances of this title occur in the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, in the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and in the Apologies of St. Justin.”

"In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks." - St. Teresa of Avila

"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks." - St. Ambrose

"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 Lisieux

"O my God, let me remember with gratitude and confess to thee thy mercies toward me." - St. Augustine of Hippo

"Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence." - St. John Paul II

"The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness." - St. Gianna Beretta Molla

"Thank God ahead of time." - Bl. Solanus Casey

"Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature." - Bl. Solanus Casey

"O God, grant that whatever good things I have, I may share generously with those who have not, and whatever good things I do not have, I may request humbly from those who do." - St. Thomas Aquinas

"Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve You as You deserve." 

- St. Ignatius of Loyola  

"Jesus does not demand great action from us but simply surrender and gratitude."
- St. Therèse of Lisieux

"The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." - St. Teresa of Calcutta

When was the last time you told God “thank you?”

We live in an extremely hectic world, full of distractions, complaining and longing for things we don’t have. And while it can be good to look at the things we do have and count up our blessings, how often do we then turn to God and thank him for those gifts?

God is the reason we have anything in this life. Even our very existence day-to-day is a gift. There’s nothing better than thankfulness, and nothing worse than a lack of thanksgiving. We can all point out moments in our lives where we failed to be thankful, and it often leads to general feelings of unhappiness. So how do we stop feeling this way? How do we practice thankfulness more?

There’s a simple solution: every morning and evening, ask the Holy Spirit to help you count your blessings, and then thank the Lord for all those gifts.

St. Paul echoes this in his letter to the Thessalonians, saying that we should give thanks in everything we have and everything we are able to do. It’s what we are called to do as Christians, and it’s how we can reverence God and all he’s given us every day. The person who continually gives thanks is a person who is seeking God’s plan in their life. And one of the greatest gifts that comes from this attitude of gratitude is that every day becomes an opportunity to use those blessings.

The celebration of the Mass is a very specific way we can express this gratitude towards God. The word Eucharist literally means “thanksgiving.” It’s in the Mass that we profess our love for Christ’s sacrifice, and thank him by performing a like sacrifice with the body and blood. We can go to Mass every day, and we can give thanks every day. And the beautiful thing about gratitude is that, the more we practice it, the more God will reveal blessings around us.

Do you seek authentic joy for the life you’re living? Start by practicing thanksgiving towards God.

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