"The Mass is ended. Let us go forth to love and serve the Lord…"
"Thanks be to God!"
The congregation ends every Mass with "Thanks be to God!" What are we thanking God for? Everything we have is a gift from God. Every talent, every experience with others, every moment we live is a gift from God. We have great reason to give thanks.

Frequently, when I listen to the tone of the final "Thanks be to God", I chuckle at what the tone indicates. Maybe it is because the sermon was long, maybe it was because they have too much to do, maybe it is because they are tired, but many voices seem to be expressing the utmost gratitude that this Mass is now ended, and they can go forth to do whatever else they please. I am sure I have expressed this sentiment as well.

We are all human and have the tendency to forget all the gifts we have been given, or to become so involved in enjoying these gifts that we overlook where they came from, and forget to stop and thank God. At times, we are like the nine lepers who rejoiced that they had been healed, and did not pause to thank Jesus. When we express gratitude, we are like the one leper who returned to God.

We are only free to go forth to enjoy and do whatever we want because of God. On this often busy Thanksgiving Day, as we savor our blessings, it is important that we pause around the celebrations and thank God for all He has given us.