Thanksgiving Day, one of the most cherished holidays in the United States, has long been equated with family reunions, feasting, recollection of life’s blessings, and a healthy dose of football to boot. It is a time for looking back in gratitude, acknowledging our dependence on God’s goodness and giving Him thanks for sustaining us through the year. But what is the true origin of Thanksgiving? And why should we as Catholics be thankful to God, no only on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year?

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, we would do well to remember the religious foundation on which our nation was built and the Christian traditions that have colored our history from the beginning. It is good to call to mind all we have received from God, for in order to be thankful, we must have knowledge of what we have been given