READ THE HOMILY:
Growing up at the Anderson household, evening meals were a big deal. Not because the conversation was so stimulating, or the atmosphere was so elegant . . . but because once the prayer was over, we were gobbling our food like our lives depended on it. That is, as fast as we could. I am not sure why we ate so fast. Maybe with seven kids (and we each had our set place to sit) we were worried that there wouldn’t be enough so we ate fast and furious. But there was always enough.
Maybe it was the way we started the meal. We did the common Catholic Meal Prayer. You know, “Bless us O Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ, our Lord. Amen.” Except the Anderson version went like this [I say the prayer super-fast]. And did you know that there is actually and ending prayer? Well, I suppose that we ate so fast and someone always had to run off to a practice or a game, we simply did that ending prayer immediately after the first prayer . . . to get it over with.
Now-a-days, many of the Anderson meals start with a spontaneous prayer and on big holidays (like Thanksgiving) we go around and announce something that we are thankful for. The important element is ritual. Rituals bring families together. And lack of rituals can signal a lack of family-togetherness.
This feast day today is centered on the Eucharist. Which for most of us, we think occurs in only one ritual style. The Eucharist is more than what happens around the altar. The Eucharist is bigger that what can be contained in these walls. We need to look beyond these elements of bread and wine.
The Eucharist is more than a “thing,” it is an action. Not so much a noun, as it is a verb.
The Eucharist is the presence of God in our midst. The Eucharist occurs every time we act like Christ for another. We receive Eucharist so as to become Eucharist, but even in those times we cannot receive . . . we can BE Eucharist. We become the place of . . . hope, of joy, of believing that whatever happens . . . things WILL get better.
As our Parish mission statements says, we: Love God and LIVE the Eucharist.
It all boils down to being thankful. Actually the word Eucharist means thanksgiving. So let me show you how. For when many of us when we pray, we do something with our hands. For example, we place our palms together, or we clasp our finger together or just simply join hands. And when you have a hard time remembering what to be thankful for . . . I want you to look at your fingers.
Now I stole this image from Pope Francis, but I have changed it a lot . . . and I like my image better than his. When you pray, use each finger to remind you of who to be thankful for.
- The thumb is closest digit to you. Start by thanking God for those people closest to you. Often family members or close friends.
- Next is the index, or pointer finger. Think of those who have pointed you in the right directions. For example . . . teachers, coaches, mentors, your spiritual guides.
- Next is the finger that some people use to express anger. That’s awful and can be cruel. But for the next part . . . actually think of those difficult people in your life and think of something to be thankful for, with each of them. This can be tough. But if you really want to live the Eucharist, start being more Christ-like and appreciate what “those people” have taught you.
- The ring finger is often associated with love. Think of you who you have loved and who have loved you. It might be some of the same people as your thumb people, but maybe not. Thank God for the loves you have or have had (like someone who has died).
- Finally, the little finger is to represent the little ones in society. We should always be mindful of those who don’t have enough or those who feel left out. We call them the Anaween (that is, people on the margin). Say a prayer in thanksgiving for them. For they remind us not to take life for-granted, or anyone for-granted.
Let me repeat: the Five Finger prayer of thanksgiving: those closest to you, those who guided you, those difficult people, those you love and the little ones. You can do this prayer anywhere, and at any time. Actually like any prayer you can’t do it wrong . . . just do it. Especially if you are in a difficult position, or things aren’t going so well . . . think Eucharist (which means thanks).
Meister Eckhart (a mystic from the 14th century) says, “If the only prayer you ever make is ‘thank you,’ that would be enough.”