In homes across our country, people who almost never say grace before meals may try to offer a prayer before the Thanksgiving dinner.
My guess is that even the slightest reflection on the meaning of Thanksgiving may almost automatically bring to the attention of many the goodness and graciousness of God. I imagine that many, in their prayer of thanksgiving, may try to mention some of the blessings that God has bestowed on them and their families. They might mention their health or their homes and even the members of their family. Of course, if they try to mention all the blessings God has bestowed on them, they would never get to eat dinner.
Lately, I have been thinking that gratitude should color our entire relationship with God. In relation to us, God is the giver, and in relation to God, we are receivers. What a blessing the Eucharist, an act of thanksgiving, is in the Catholic Church. I think it expresses and, in some ways, summarizes everything that Catholics believe.
Recently, I have reread a statement that Pope Francis made in an interview early in his pontificate. The statement made a profound impression on me when I first read it and inspired me again upon rereading it. Pope Francis said the following:
“I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life. Although the life of a person is a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God” (America magazine, Sept. 30, 2013, p. 2).
This Thanksgiving, I am especially grateful for two truths about every person in whom the Holy Spirit lives. The first truth is that when I encounter such a person, I can also encounter the Holy Spirit living in that person. The second truth is that if I am in what theologians have called the state of grace, that is, if the Holy Spirit lives in me, a person who encounters me may also encounter the Holy Spirit. It is almost as though we can be sacraments for each other. For me, this has become a new way of thinking of the encounter between persons. Each person in whom the Holy Spirit lives is like a special treasure, a potentially special gift.
My philosophy of person that I teach to students at St. John’s University stresses the beautiful dignity and value of each person, but what the Catholic faith teaches about each person goes way beyond what even the greatest thinkers have taught in their philosophies. The only response I can have in considering what the Church teaches about every person in whom the Holy Spirit lives is one of awe or wonder. It makes my philosophy pale in comparison.
Reflecting on the mystery of grace has stimulated me to believe more deeply in the importance of culture and in the role that each of us can play in contributing to and shaping it. Pope Francis wrote the following in his apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel”:
“The People of God is incarnate in the peoples of the earth, each of which has its own culture. The concept of culture is valuable for understanding the various expressions of the Christian life within God’s people. It has to do with the lifestyle of a given society, specifically the way its members relate to one another, to other creatures, and to God. Understood in this way, culture embraces the totality of a people’s life. Each person in the course of its history develops its culture with legitimate autonomy. This is due to the fact that the human person, ‘by nature stands completely in need of life in society’ and always exists in reference to society, finding there a concrete way of relating to reality. The human person is always situated in culture: ‘nature and culture are intimately linked.’ Grace supposes culture, and God’s gift becomes flesh in the culture of those who receive it” (pp. 80-81).
Reflecting on the power of the Holy Spirit within us has encouraged me to believe that we can make a real difference in our culture. We are never alone, and we need not rely entirely on our own talents and efforts. The gift of the Spirit should inspire confidence and courage, and mitigate against discouragement.
Even if we do not observe any impact we might be having, I don’t think we should conclude that our efforts are not bearing fruit. Even if only one person is touched and influenced by our efforts, that makes our efforts worthwhile.
Father Lauder is a philosophy professor at St. John’s University, Jamaica. His new book, “The Cosmic Love Story: God and Us,” is available on Amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble.