(This is the “Faith and Action” column for the Catholic Standard for Thanksgiving 2020 by Msgr. John Enzler, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite days of the year. It is also one of my favorite liturgies of the year because churches are full of people who truly want to be there to give thanks to God.

It’s a different Thanksgiving for all of us this year, isn’t it?

Family plans are being canceled or changed as we do our best to respect the health of others and ourselves and minimize the spread of COVID-19. For the first time I can ever remember, the Enzler family will not gather in big numbers this year.

In addition, this has been a difficult and tragic year for so many of us, so we may have to work a little harder to recognize God’s many blessings in our lives. I’m trying my best to keep Thanksgiving an opportunity to really celebrate God’s love and reflect in gratitude upon all of God’s good gifts.

As St. Paul urges us, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Nearly 10 years ago, I decided to send out a Thanksgiving card rather than a Christmas card. I like sending it before the rush of the holidays, and I see it as a good reminder to be grateful as we approach Advent and call forth a new spirit of goodness in all of us for the gift of the Incarnation.

This week, in the midst of the different circumstances we find ourselves in, I thought I would share this year’s Thanksgiving card with you. These are not my usual Thanksgiving sentiments. I am always thankful for my parents, my family, my friends, my priesthood, my faith, and the Church. That never changes. This year, however, my reflections on gratitude speak of the particular issues we face.

I share my 2020 Thanksgiving sentiments hoping they help you and perhaps remind you of your gratitude for all the things God has given you over the years.

I’m thankful for…

• People who do the lifting while others get all the credit.
• Beautiful days that remind us of God’s care for us.
• Holy people who show us the way.
• Families who pass love from generation to generation.
• Good health, never to be underestimated.
• Friends who are always there for us.
• The gift of faith. How lucky we are to believe in such a good and gracious God!
• Stewardship of our environment – earth, air and sea.
• The gift of forgiveness – God’s for us and ours for others.
• Our free will and ability to make good choices every day.
• All children. Jesus tells us that they are the image of what we are called to be.
• Benefactors who have a heart for the poor and for God.
• Clergy who inspire us by words, but mostly by actions.
• All servant leaders, whose purpose in life is to be there for others.
• A God who touches us in space and time through sacraments.
• Reflective hearts that keep urging us to do more.
• Heroes who are all around us every moment of the day.
• Vocations of service, our ticket to Heaven.
• Mentors who are beacons for us.
• Appreciation and gratitude that allow us to see others for who they are.
• The ability to dream, and the drive to bring those dreams to reality.
• People who love and are loved.
• For you!

Gratitude for God’s gifts, even in difficult times, is an important part of our prayer life. I remember being taught the acronym “ACTS” in grade school – adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication. I of course want to praise God through prayers like the Gloria at Mass. I want to recognize my own faults and weaknesses and ask for forgiveness often. I certainly go to God and ask for things that are important, especially people’s health and help for those who are suffering.

But I have always found thanksgiving to be the easiest and the most gratifying form of prayer. It speaks to my heart in a way that allows me to enjoy being in God’s presence, and to recognize again his goodness and how he continues to bless me in so many ways.

As we enter the season of gratitude and begin preparations to celebrate Jesus’ birth, let’s try our best to make sure we give thanks even in the unusual quiet and perhaps silence of this year’s Thanksgiving. Even during a pandemic, there is much to be thankful for because we have a God who loves so much that he sent his only Son so that we might live with Him forever.