Three good things result from thanksgiving. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅…For it belongs to our good Lord to conserve in a man those things which that man acknowledges that he holds from him, and on which he pays the tax that is due. And in this case, the tax is thanksgiving, as has been said.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔. For just as ingratitude prevents this, in accordance with Bernard [of Clairvaus], who says, “Ingratitude is a scorching wind that dries up the spring of love, the dew of mercy, and the waters of grace,” so conversely those who give thanks for benefits received are worthy to receive more abundant ones in the present life. And so Bernard says: “From the place whence they came, the rivers of graces return,” that is by thanksgiving, “so that they may flow again.”
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒃𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆…Whoever does not glorify the Lord by thanksgiving is…like an untrustworthy servant who holds on to what is his master’s. But whoever does glorify him will be advanced to great things in the future…Well done and good and faithful servant: I will place thee over many things (MT 25:23).
Therefore, since so many evils result from ingratitude, and so many good things from thanksgiving, the Church invites us to give thanks, saying daily [in the Preface at Mass]: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thank, Lord, holy Father.” And Augustine issues the same invitation, saying: “What better can we keep in our minds or utter with our lips or write with our quills, than: 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝒐𝒅? 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏”… And so, since acting well is a special gift of God, for we can do no good without him, Bernard says: “𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏, 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔.”
-Blessed Humbert of Romans
