Every night, as part of my son’s nighttime routine, my husband leads us in a personalized litany of the saints. The attention span of our 18-month-old is, as you can imagine, hit or miss, usually depending upon his level of exhaustion. But we persevere as best we can through squirms, babbles and a clear preference for reading “Goodnight Moon.”
Our litany is a beautiful opportunity to reconnect with our patron saints and with those who have found a special place in the heart of our family, asking for their intercession. And invoking a list of saints by name daily helps us remain mindful of our own call to holiness.
We gravitate toward other litanies, too — especially that of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the litany of the Sacred Heart.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I have been mulling over the idea of adding a litany of, well, just that — thanksgiving. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul tells the community of new believers: “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (5:18). Yet do we make giving thanks to the Lord a regular part of our routine?
To that end, here is a litany of Thanksgiving that can be used at this time of the year or — even better — all year long. Feel free to use all of it, part of it, or to add to it to make it your own. I hope that it helps enrich your sense of gratitude.
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For the beauty of your creation, we thank you, O Lord.
For the gift of new life, we thank you, O Lord.
For creating us in your image and likeness, we thank you, O Lord.
For your fatherly love, we thank you, O Lord.
For the gift of your only Son, we thank you, O Lord.
For the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we thank you, O Lord.
For revealing yourself to us, we thank you, O Lord.
For the sacraments that bring us closer to you, we thank you, O Lord.
For the Eucharist that sustains us, we thank you, O Lord.
For the love found in family, we thank you, O Lord.
For the friendships that nourish us, we thank you, O Lord.
For the Church that guides us, we thank you, O Lord.
For holy and wise clergy, we thank you, O Lord.
For the example of people of faith who inspire us, we thank you, O Lord.
For the peace that is found in you, we thank you, O Lord.
For the joy that comes from praising you, we thank you, O Lord.
For times of hardship that help us to grow in virtue and holiness, we thank you, O Lord.
For the opportunity to work for good, we thank you, O Lord.
For the times we are inconvenienced, we thank you, O Lord.
For moments of sorrow that helps us remember to turn to you, we thank you, O Lord.
For opportunities to do your will with joy, we thank you, O Lord.
Gretchen R. Crowe is editor-in-chief of Our Sunday Visitor. Follow her on Twitter @GretchenOSV.
