Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. We hope that your celebration today is abundantly blessed, and that you are surrounded by loved ones as we set this day aside to express gratitude for the many blessings of God. It is instructive for us to note how perfectly in tune the Thanksgiving Holiday is with the Spirit of Orthodox Christianity. The Eucharist, Holy Communion, is the supreme manifestation of our Faith, and the word, “Eucharist” means to give thanks. Gratitude is essential and central to our Spiritual Lives.

Father Alexander Schmemann, one of the foremost theologians of the twentieth century, wrote extensively on the role of the Eucharist in our Liturgical Tradition and the role of Gratitude in our Spiritual Lives. Father Schmemann celebrated his last Divine Liturgy on Thanksgiving Day in 1983 at St. Vladimir Seminary in Yonkers, New York. For his homily on that day, he had written the following prayer. We share it with you on this Thanksgiving Day in hopes that it will cultivate gratitude and great joy in your hearts and households as you celebrate today.

Thank You, O Lord!
Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy.
Thank You, O Lord, for having accepted this Eucharist, which we offered to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and which filled our hearts with the joy, peace and righteousness of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, O Lord, for having revealed Yourself unto us and given us the foretaste of Your Kingdom.
Thank You, O Lord, for having united us to one another in serving You and Your Holy Church.
Thank You, O Lord, for having helped us to overcome all difficulties, tensions, passions, temptations and restored peace, mutual love and joy in sharing the communion of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, O Lord, for the sufferings You bestowed upon us, for they are purifying us from selfishness and reminding us of the “one thing needed;” Your eternal Kingdom.
Thank You, O Lord, for having given us this country where we are free to Worship You.
Thank You, O Lord, for this school, where the name of God is proclaimed.
Thank You, O Lord, for our families: husbands, wives and, especially, children who teach us how to celebrate Your holy Name in joy, movement and holy noise.
Thank You, O Lord, for everyone and everything.
Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your deeds, and no word is sufficient to celebrate Your miracles.
Lord, it is good to be here! Amen.