As we gather with family and friends this weekend, I hope we take a few minutes alone or with others to remember that all we have is gift. As Canadians we pause this weekend to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives – food, family, friends and so much more. This is good. And we need to continue to cultivate and carry that stance of gratitude into every day.
In every faith tradition, we are reminded so many times that it is God who provides. The more we know this in our hearts, the more we can look around us and give thanks and see everyone as part of God’s abundance. We realize that there are many in our country who share this same abundance and many who don’t and we also know that they too are part of us. We are all connected. When we see this then we can share with others in need. It takes a whole country to build a just and inclusive society. So when we gather over this weekend, remember to include in our thanks all who cross our paths day in and day out no matter what the circumstances of their lives – the poor, the widow, the orphan, the homeless, the prisoner, the refugee, the sick … they too are the human face of God among us.
To all who follow us on our website, the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada, extend Thanksgiving blessings to all.
Joan Atkinson, CSJ