Giving Thanks and Waiting with Anticipation
Holidays can be a hard time of year for families, especially those with members suffering from illness, or who have recently passed on, or who are separated by distance and cannot physically be together. While intended to be joyful occasions, holidays can bring up feelings of anxiety, irritation, and possibly even dread. Many times, the business and busy-ness of the holiday season can seem to squeeze out any semblance of peace or gratitude that one might hope to feel. Typically the quick transition from Thanksgiving to the Christmas holiday season can leave one breathless as obligations heap on top of extracurricular commitments, and the general intensity of life ramps up for these few weeks. But lately I’ve been thinking about this transition in a different way.
In 1789, President George Washington declared Thanksgiving as a “day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God." In the Christian tradition, the Holy Communion or Eucharist that is celebrated in church, originating from the Jewish passover meal, is actually a ceremony of thanksgiving,. The word Eucharist derives from the Greek word “eucharistia” which means “thanksgiving.” So every time we take Communion or the Eucharist, we are offering God thanks for our blessings.
We then quickly move into Advent, the preparatory season leading up to Christmas. The word “advent” derives from the Latin “adventus,” meaning “arrival” or “coming.” In ancient Rome, adventus described the arrival of an emperor into a city. For Christians, Advent became the season leading up to the remembrance of Jesus’ birth on Christmas, and also anticipating the arrival of his second coming.
Thus, this holiday season starts with giving thanks and moves into a period of waiting with anticipation. We hear all about the benefits of practicing gratitude, including improved mood, enhanced sense of connection, increased charity towards others, and decreased worry and fear. It may be particularly difficult to feel thankful and show gratitude when one is not feeling well, or suffering through some illness, or uncertain about the future. But these are the times when gratitude may be most beneficial. Most of the time, it is not hard for us to find things to be thankful for. Rather, it is hard to remember to be thankful.
And that is where the “waiting with anticipation” for the arrival of Christmas comes into play. Certainly it is easy to mindlessly run around stressed out, embittered, and eager to just make it through the holidays in one piece. But if we give ourselves time to wait, time to anticipate, time to prepare during this season, then we can truly find the space and peace of mind to continue experiencing the gratitude that started with Thanksgiving, but never really stopped with clearing the dirty dishes and putting away the turkey leftovers.
As many modern day twentieth-century saints remind us, gratitude leads to happiness and holiness. St. Gianna Molla taught that "the secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.” For Thomas Merton, “To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.” And even in suffering and trouble, Mother Theresa of Calcutta tells us “The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.”
One of my favorite passages from the Bible perhaps sums it up best. St. Paul encourages the Philippians and us to “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).”
Here are a few things that I am thankful for these past and upcoming few weeks:
Spending time with out-of-town and in-town family
Enjoying a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner lovingly prepared by my amazing wife
Getting to teach a bright, intelligent, compassionate group of new medical students
Watching birds and squirrels play around the birdfeeder
Romping around in fresh snowfall with my puppy
Eating my favorite pizza
Laughing together over a silly Christmas movie
Catching up with old friends after a long hiatus
Listening to one of my favorite bands play live
What are you thankful for? What are you waiting for?
I am grateful for all of you my readers and your loved ones. May your days be merry and bright, and filled with gratitude, peace, and healing.
