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A Litany of Thanksgiving

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Every year at Thanksgiving dinner, before the prayer is said, it’s become a tradition in my family to go around the table and say what we have been thankful for this year. Perhaps your family has a similar custom. It seems the ritual has been around for much longer than you or me – as The Book of Common Prayer’s beautiful litany holds true as much today as it did when originally published in 1549.

In celebration of this Thanksgiving Day and the season of giving on which we are about to embark, I’d like to share this Litany of Thanksgiving:

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so
freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and
sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women,
revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and
our friends,
We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering
and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and
promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

-The Book of Common Prayer

Truly, we worship an infinite God who has given us much to be thankful for today and every day.

 

Alisa Williams is Spirituality Editor at spectrummagazine.org.

 

Photo Credit: GraphicStock.com

 

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