Did you know that the title of this article repeated itself?

Next week we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is a time that we take to be with family and friends and reflect upon the many good things, even in the midst of challenge, that are in our life. It is no coincidence that the Mass, also known as the Eucharist, invites us to do this as well; after all, the Greek word for "thanksgiving" is eucharisteo, literally, "the giving of thanks for God's grace." Just like our approach to Jesus in the celebration and the sacrifice of the Mass - the Eucharist - one surprising aspect of thanksgiving is that it is for all circumstances, not just one big meal a year. St. Paul writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

So we get together on this day (or weekend) with family, we take time to relax and engage in fellowship. Good things in themselves, but what if God had something more in mind for these activities, possibly an opportunity to reconnect (or maybe connect for the first time) a relationship to Him? Here are some tips that may make this Thanksgiving a real opportunity to come closer to God and maybe bring a family member or two with you:

• Pray. It only makes sense that all things should begin with this. Pray not just for changes in those who may have fallen away, but also pray for the needed changes in us — whether it’s for love or courage or patience or kindness or fresh hope, or all of the above.
• Listen. How often do we start responding before another person has finished speaking and get out an answer that's only half-right? Good evangelization starts not with speaking but with good listening. Getting to know someone well, and specifically applying the gospel to them, is vital. Relationship matters. Ask questions to draw them out. People like to talk about themselves — and we should capitalize on this. And most people only enjoy talking about themselves for so long. At some point, they’ll ask us questions. And that’s our golden chance to speak, upon request.
• Be patient. With family especially, always consider where they are right now, not where we think they should be. Think in terms of an alphabet chart, seeing family members positioned at some point from letters A to Z. These 26 steps/letters along the way from complete unbelief (A) to being near to Jesus (Z) help us remember that evangelization is a process, often a long one. Consider where the other may be and how we can move them a letter, or two or three, not pushing them toward Z so hard that we may actually push them away.
• Don't be judgmental. It can be too easy to slide into playing the role of the self-righteous older brother of the Prodigal Son parable when we're around family. Ask God to help us speak with humility, patience and grace. All of us are sinners in need of His grace, so we should remember that we're not cattle drivers forcing others ahead of us but instead fellow-travelers on a journey helping up others who have fallen and need a little extra help getting back on the path.
• Be real. Don't start by quoting Bible verses that don’t really answer the questions being asked. When questions are asked, try to engage them in the terms in which they were asked. First recall a real-life situation and then how life as a follower of Jesus applies. Use Scripture when appropriate, but make sure that both faith and reason are used so that others can make an informed and sensible decision to follow the way of truth. It probably wouldn't hurt to know a few Bible verses that may be applicable, even if you can't quote chapter and verse. And, if something comes up that you're not quite prepared to address, don't be afraid to say "I don’t know yet, but will find the answer" - and then do so, so that both of you will then know!
• Know your family. In some situations, you may be the first to talk about Jesus; in others, there may have been others who have tried. Think and pray ahead of time as to what the need is in the family, and as the gathering approaches pray toward what little steps to take. Be sure to ask God for the ability to trust in giving the grace our hearts need, whether it’s grace for humbling ourselves enough to connect relationally or whether it’s courage enough to speak with grace and clarity.
• Be hopeful. In true "God's-wisdom-versus-conventional-wisdom" fashion, He loves to convert the people we think are the least likely. Jesus was able to melt the hardest of hearts. Some who finished their lives among the greatest saints started as the worst of sinners. It's not hard to imagine a Christian cousin of St. Paul sitting around centuries ago telling his fellow believers, “Hey, would you guys pray for my cousin Saul? I can’t think of anyone more lost. He hunts down followers of The Way and arrests them. Just last week, he was the guy who stood guard over the clothes of the people who killed our brother Stephen.”
• Be prepared for rejection. It happens to the best of us - after all, it happened to Jesus himself! Remember the story of the Rich Young Man (Mark 10:17-22)? Despite having followed the Commandments all his life, after Jesus telling him that he would have to give away all he owned and follow him, he turned away sad and left. Also, recall the reaction of the crowd to Jesus when he said that they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood in John chapter 6, famously known as the "Bread of Life Discourse" by Jesus: "Then many of his disciples who were listening said, 'This saying is hard; who can accept it?'” (Jn. 6:60) followed by "As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him." (Jn. 6:66). If it could happen to Jesus, it can (and likely will) certainly happen to us. If it does, don't lose heart: we don't know what finally happened to that rich young man or if anyone in the crowd returned to Jesus after thinking it over.

With God, all things are possible (Mt. 19:26). Jesus has a history of conquering those most hostile to him. We have great reason to have hope about evangelizing our families, despite how dire and dark it may seem. Ask questions to draw them out.
Think about trying some of these suggestions, bring them to prayer at Mass (Eucharist - Thanksgiving - remember?) and who knows? You may have another reason this year to be thankful to God: having a part in bringing someone back to Him!

---

Here is a prayer of blessing from the book of Household Blessings and Prayers that you can use for your Thanksgiving table:

Lord, we thank you
for the goodness of our people
and for the spirit of justice
that fills this nation.
We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the
land and the challenge of the cities.

We thank you for our work and our rest,
for one another, and for our homes.
We thank you, Lord:

(If desired, pause for other prayers of thanksgiving)

accept our thanksgiving on this day.
We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.

---

---