Thanksgiving is about more than what we place on the table. It is about the people in the chairs, the memories held in the empty ones, and the grace that keeps making room for us all. On Thanksgiving Sunday, perhaps the simplest prayer is still the best: for this bread, these people, this imperfect life—thanks be to God.
Tag Archives: The Cyber Priest
The More We Give Thanks, the More We Discover
Gratitude does not always arrive naturally. Sometimes thanksgiving begins as a spiritual practice before it becomes a feeling. As we learn to notice the ordinary gifts already surrounding us, our eyes begin to change—and we discover that grace has been quietly present all along.
Thanksgiving, Unfortunately, Includes Other People
Some of God’s greatest gifts arrive disguised as wonderfully imperfect people. This Thanksgiving, perhaps gratitude means noticing those who have carried us, encouraged us, forgiven us, challenged us, and quietly made our lives better—and remembering to tell them while we still can.
Thanksgiving Before Everything Is Fixed
Thanksgiving does not have to wait until everything is fixed. In the middle of unfinished prayers, uncertain futures, family complications, and ordinary worries, grace is already present. Perhaps gratitude begins when we stop waiting for the perfect moment and discover the daily bread God has already placed before us.
The Trouble with Gifts We Didn’t Order
Gratitude is easy when life behaves itself. But what about the gifts we never ordered and the seasons we would never have chosen? As Thanksgiving approaches, perhaps the deeper spiritual practice is learning to recognize that even in an imperfect life, grace is still being given — and there may already be enough for today.
Before the Turkey: Learning to Notice What Is Already Good
Thanksgiving begins long before the turkey reaches the table. It begins when we learn to notice the ordinary gifts we have become accustomed to overlooking. As Canadian Thanksgiving approaches, perhaps our spiritual work is simple: look around, pay attention, name what is good, and discover the grace that has been there all along.
We Were Never Meant to Stand Outside the Garden
The Season of Creation may be ending, but our place within creation is not. St. Francis reminds us that the earth is not scenery, property, or simply a collection of resources—it is a community of creatures already loved by God. Perhaps faithful care begins when we remember that we were never meant to stand outside the garden.
Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and the Neighbourhood Squirrel
As the Season of Creation draws toward the Feast of St. Francis, we are invited to remember that creation is more than scenery, property, or resource—it is the beloved community of life to which we belong. From Brother Sun and Sister Moon to the remarkably determined neighbourhood squirrel, perhaps caring for the earth begins when we rediscover our kinship with the world God loves and is still redeeming.
The Neighbours Who Never Borrow the Lawn Mower
What if creation is more than scenery, property, or a collection of resources? During this Season of Creation, we consider what it might mean to see trees, rivers, soil, and creatures as neighbours—and to discover that caring for the earth is ultimately an expression of love, gratitude, and faithful discipleship.
The Spiritual Discipline of Looking Out the Window
Creation has not stopped speaking—we have simply become very good at interrupting it. During the Season of Creation, perhaps one of our most important spiritual disciplines is simply learning to notice again: the trees, the birds, the soil beneath our feet, and the quiet goodness of a world still declaring the glory of God.