Happy Thanksgiving! We often invite families and friends over to share our meal during this time and celebrate Thanksgiving day. We, Anglican Christians, also celebrate the “riches of God’s creation” and the bounty of the earth. 

By the time of the Hebrew Bible, this tradition was well established. For instance, Deuteronomy 16:10 says, “Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.” This shows that the Jewish people were expressing their gratitude to God for a successful harvest, a tradition carried into Christianity.

Canadian Thanksgiving is a time to relax, reflect, and to be grateful for the blessings we have and the friendships that continue to be cherished gifts in our lives.

Prayer: Almighty one, today we lift our prayer of thanksgiving to you for the blessings and gifts seen and unseen. We thank you for the sun which courses across the sky to remind us of the precious moments that we are granted this day and every day. Grant us the wisdom and vision to see these days and moments as the true gifts that they are, guard us from being distracted by the busyness of the day and the work before us, that we might see the other beside us and you who goes with us. Bless us this day to be a blessing to others, open our hearts to go forth in love as you have called and loved us first. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.