Thanksgiving dinner is a distinctively American tradition, rooted in on our own history as a nation, and since St. Faustina never lived outside of Poland, that particular holiday would not have been part of her heritage.
And yet, this thought of thanksgiving leaves me wondering – “If St. Faustina were to celebrate Thanksgiving with us today, what things would she be especially thankful for?”
St. Faustina gives thanks simply for being a child of God. “Today I live, glorifying the Holy Trinity,” she writes. “I thank God that He has deigned to adopt us as His children, through grace.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1819.
And like any child who knows they are loved by their parents and constantly showered with blessings and protected from grievous harm, St. Faustina delights in God’s constant loving care for her.
“Lord, first let me pour out my heart at Your feet in a fragrant anointing of gratitude for the many blessings which you lavish upon me; even if I wanted to, I could not count them. I only recall that there has never been a moment in my life in which I have not experienced Your protection and goodness.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1489
Above all, she thanked the Lord for redeeming the world, and enabling us to share in the fruits of redemption through the Eucharist. “During Mass, I thanked the Lord Jesus for having deigned to redeem us and for having given us the greatest of all gifts: namely, His love in Holy Communion, that is, His very own Self. At that moment, I was drawn into the bosom of the Most Holy Trinity, and I was immersed in the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These moments are hard to describe.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1670
If you want to spend this Thanksgiving close to the heart of St. Faustina, here is one way to do it. In the morning, when you awaken on Thanksgiving Day, open her Diary and start your day by reading her great canticle of praise to our Creator in entry 1750. Here, she writes of all the glories and blessings He has given to us in nature: “Be adored, O our Creator and Lord. O universe, humbly glorify your God …”
Then, in the evening, perhaps for your grace over that piping hot turkey and stuffing, read her great canticle of thanksgiving for all God’s supernatural graces, especially those poured out upon us through the sacraments, a canticle that ends with these words:
“Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces which You have lavished upon me unceasingly through life. My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises, when, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1286
Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving day to all on the Road of Faith – I lift up special prayers for each of you this day.