OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) -- Thanksgiving celebrates blessings -- and the holiday itself is a blessing for families in both a spiritual and psychological sense, according to a priest from the Omaha Archdiocese and a Catholic psychologist.
Although it is not a religious holiday, the day provides another opportunity to praise God for his blessings, particularly the gifts of faith and family, said Father Ralph O'Donnell, now serving at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo.
Family feeds the faith and faith feeds the family, he said.
When faith is at the center of the parents' life, they in turn share that with their children, and from generation to generation it is handed on, he said, and then as individual families gather in the parish community, the church is enriched.
"It is within the family experience that we first learn to take on responsibility, grow in mutual respect for others and extend ourselves in generous service for the good of the community," Father O'Donnell told the Catholic Voice, Omaha's archdiocesan newspaper.
Families and family gatherings are important spiritually and psychologically, particularly during holidays such as Thanksgiving, because they create a sense of belonging and provide an opportunity to rekindle bonds, said Sean Stevens, a Catholic psychologist in Omaha. They help people develop an identity as a member of a family and a sense of behavioral consequences, boundaries and responsibility, he said.
"Our family's feedback gives us a sense of identity and it reflects us back to ourselves," Stevens said. "If we have a good relationship with our family, it reinforces that we matter and that people can know us deeply and still love us."
Faith is an important part of identity, as well, and including Mass on Thanksgiving -- which is what his family did when he was a child -- is another way to pass on what it means to be Catholic and show appreciation for God's blessings, Father O'Donnell said.
"As a Catholic family, the center of our life is the Eucharist, which is literally thanksgiving. It's gathering and recognizing Christ's gift to us and the hope of the eternal gift of salvation," he said.
Gratitude expressed at Thanksgiving is a reminder to recognize it is God who gives life, and who sustains and ultimately offers, through Christ, eternal life, he said.
God also gives people a specific family, Stevens said. One way to show gratitude for that gift, especially at Thanksgiving, is to make the effort to prepare large amounts of food, put out holiday decorations and use the best china and silverware, he suggested.
"An ordinary dinner isn't enough to celebrate extraordinary blessings," he said.
At holiday gatherings, family traditions have an important place, too. For example, playing board games or flag football is a great way to incorporate the younger ones into a sense of "this is our family's roots, history," according to Stevens.
"Traditions call up pleasant memories year after year to give a sense of layered richness, like piled oak or maple leaves on a forest floor," he said.
That same layering happens when faith traditions are passed on from generation to generation, he said. Parents can take rituals from their childhood and add new ones with their own family, he said.
"This all has to do with building up our love of Jesus Christ," Stevens said. "If it doesn't do that, then it becomes a tradition without roots."
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