A Thanksgiving Blessing with an Eye to the Year of Mercy

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I woke up this morning to find this beautiful prayer in my inbox. It’s from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, and I love how it gently draws our attention to St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy… especially as the Church, together with Pope Francis prepares to enter into the Year of Mercy on December 8th.

A special thank-you to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. This will be the prayer of blessing and thanksgiving that we offer tomorrow around the table.

Most Merciful Lord, gathering for this meal of thanksgiving
we offer You, as our Creator, our thanks and praise
You who teach us to love without limit
You who teach us to forgive without counting the cost
You who teach us to give without seeking return

May we honor You through our words and actions
every day, every moment.
May we worship You through our lives with others,
lived in kindness and tender care.

May we fully realize what St. Faustina came to know:
that in our thankfulness, true earthly joy resides
that in Your love for us we find the heavenly harvest
that strengthens our souls, until we reside in You forever.

Praise and glory to You, Merciful Lord,
now and forever. Amen.

Do you have a special prayer or blessing that you pray every year with your family on Thanksgiving Day?

Let me know in the comments below.

And Happy Thanksgiving!

About Jeff Young

Jeff Young, perhaps better known as The Catholic Foodie, is an author, blogger, radio host and podcaster. He is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast where he provides "Catholic culinary inspiration to help you grow in faith around the table." Jeff hosts a daily radio show – The Catholic Foodie Show – on BreadboxMedia.com, and he co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on Catholic Community Radio 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM (Baton Rouge). Jeff is a monthly contributor to CatholicMom.com and a contributing author of Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, published by Ave Maria Press. Jeff is also a contributing author of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections by Ave Maria Press. Jeff Young is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CMG Booking. Jeff has spoken on topics ranging from "growing in faith around the table" to "using social media in the New Evangelization." Jeff's first book, Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications is now available. With 78 recipes and stories of faith and family (including his travels to the Holy Land), the book is sure to inspire you to get into the kitchen and to gather your family around the table. The book is available on Amazon.com, Liguori.org, and wherever good Catholic books are sold.