The Thanksgiving We Live Every Day

A reflection on choosing gratitude when God feels distant.

It’s Thanksgiving this week: a day in America to give thanks around the table for all the blessings and people we cherish. As Catholic men, it reinforces how we live out every day… Right?

We are often fond of saying “God is good, all the time”. And “All the time, God is good”. I have a good friend who suddenly finds himself in circumstances that aren’t what he expected or planned for, or even deserves. He is having a hard time trusting God in it. And this is a man who has been a steady provider and a good dad and husband for more than 30 years. No doubt this is a hard time, and I have great empathy. As one who lost his eyesight mid-career, and scratched and clawed for paid work ever since, I have been there too. Many of us have.

Suffering takes many forms: a sick child, an unexpected financial demand you didn’t cause, or even a divorce happen every day - just to someone else. When it does come our way, we wonder where God has gone? Our faith and friends tell us to ‘hang in there, God is there; and “be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:16-18)”. But God can feel distant. It’s isolating and we guys can let the spirit of comparison take us deeper. We want to pour a drink and retreat.

Saint Ignatius calls times of blessed comfort or success, “Consolations” and times of challenge and suffering that are hard to fix, “Desolation”. Neither lasts forever. How we manage our minds and lives during desolation can be defining; especially if we are fathers whose families are watching. It’s easy to say “God is good” when the times are good. Do we still confess that God is good when we are battling cancer, betrayal, job loss? Do we define God’s goodness according to the circumstances we are lining in?

Here’s the thing: as Catholics, we have a call to live a thankful life. Not just on Thanksgiving day, but every day. It sets us apart.

Gratitude is not just a polite gesture in the Christian life. It is a profound expression of our identity as God’s sons, saved by grace. Scripture teaches that thankfulness is both a command and a natural overflow of a heart transformed by grace. I know I need to embark that more. In a world where anxiety, entitlement, and constant comparison seem to be everywhere, the giving thanks becomes a radical act of faith.

First, I believe gratitude roots us in the truth of who God is. When we thank God, we acknowledge His sovereignty, His goodness, and His unchanging love whatever our circumstances. David writes, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). Gratitude turns our hearts from focusing on despair to recognizing the God who provides for us daily. It shifts our focus toward His character.

Second, gratitude fuels worship. True worship flows from hearts that recognize God’s gifts and respond in love. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). A questioning heart struggles to worship because it overlooks God’s generosity. But a thankful Catholic man sees the fingerprints of God in daily life. He is in answered prayers, in the sacraments and beauty of creation, and most of all, in the gift of salvation through Christ.

Third, thankfulness shapes our relationships with others. A grateful believer is more patient, peaceful, forgiving, and joyful. Paul calls the church to let “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Gratitude softens our hearts and keeps us from bitterness and comparison so present in our future today.

Finally, we are called to imitate Jesus, and I see gratitude reflecting the heart of Jesus. Think about it. At the Last Supper, on the night He would be betrayed by Judas, Jesus “gave thanks” (Luke 22:19). Even facing suffering, Jesus chose gratitude. To be a thankful Catholic man, is to walk in His footsteps!

Happy Thanksgiving brothers! Whether you are in times consolation or desolation, I pray you can have a deep sense of peace through gratitude. Give thanks this Thanksgiving holiday, and every day.

---

---

---