Each Thanksgiving I try to give thanks for a different list of blessings. This year I thank my fellow Catholics.
Thank you, sacristans and altar servers. You bring reverence and order to our celebration. Thank you, hospitality ministers for spotting empty seats and for welcoming visitors on our behalf.
Thank you, music ministers. Your hymns call me away from worry and wool-gathering. You lift my heart and comfort my soul. Every Mass is a celebration, but I feel the joy more readily when you’re on the job.
Thank you, lectors. Your reading helps determine how well we understand the lessons and even Father’s homily. Bless you for the time you spend practicing.
Thank you, extraordinary ministers. It’s too easy to take the Eucharist for granted. Your reverence and the warmth in your voice and expression help me pay attention to the miracle of Communion.
Thank you, religious educators. I know it’s hard to hold a child’s attention and to explain complex theology. Yet somehow you do that for children, new communicants, catechumens and confirmandi. My own faith was largely formed by teachers just like you.
Thank you, church cleaners. Yours is not a glamorous ministry, but we would certainly miss your service. I’m also grateful for those who decorate the church. I don’t believe it’s officially, legally Christmas without poinsettias.
Thank you, parish secretaries. Just the way you answer the phone tells a stranger what our parish is like. We don’t pay you nearly enough for keeping track of our meetings and ministries, Father’s schedule and where we store the crèche.
Thank you to all in social ministry. You remind us that Christianity is more than feeling happy on Easter morning. Thanks, treasurers and bookkeepers, for your honesty and accuracy. Thank you for reminding us that even a divine institution has to pay its bills, and that requires faithful donors.
Thank you, deacons. I admire your willingness to give so much time to the church in addition to your responsibilities as wage earners, husbands and fathers. How can I say I have no time for ministry when I see your selfless service?
Thank you, priests. I’ve benefitted from your advice from the pulpit and in the confessional. You’re not perfect, which means there’s no gulf between us. I know you have your struggles, and that’s what makes your words worth hearing.
Thank you, consecrated religious. Each time I see you in your habit, I remember that my commitment to God must come before anything, even my family.
Thank you, bishops. I can’t imagine carrying that responsibility. We expect you to be godly men — and rightly so. We also expect you to manage money well, see to the needs of our priests and effectively communicate the church’s position on a host of controversial issues. We’d also like you to be friendly, accessible and impressive on TV. I marvel that you took the job.
Thank you, Pope Francis. You remind the world that true Christianity is joyful. You approach believers and non-believers with warmth and compassion. Your modest lifestyle is an important example to your flock. You make me think seriously about which luxuries I could surrender in order to give more generously.
I’m grateful for all my fellow Catholics. Just your physical presence at Mass gives me energy. I’m grateful for your prayers, for holding my hand and for smiling when you see me.
Dear God, thank you for my family of faith. You continually send us your love wrapped in human flesh so that we might know and believe. May I pass that love on to others. Amen.
Kathleen welcomes comments. Send them to Kathleen Choi, 1706 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720, or e-mail: kathchoi@hawaii.rr.com.
