A Litany of Gratitude

Janelle Peregoy discusses the benefits of gratitude and shares a litany families can pray together. Download and print this prayer in time for Thanksgiving!

Gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which can translate to grace, gratefulness, or graciousness depending on the context. Gratitude encompasses all these meanings. With thankful appreciation, we acknowledge the goodness in our lives and by doing so we also recognize that the source of that goodness lies outside ourselves. As a result, being grateful also helps us connect to something larger than ourselves — either other people or the God who has created us. 

The health effects of gratitude 

Outside of the religious dimension of gratitude, I am increasingly fascinated by the clinical evidence of the impact of gratitude on human health. According to the Mayo Clinic, gratitude is associated with a wide variety of mental and physical benefits, including improved sleep, better immunity, decreased depression & anxiety, and reduced chronic pain. Practicing gratitude needs to be done consistently, ideally daily, to make the greatest impact on our minds, bodies and spirits. 

On a basic level, our behavior affects our biology. Positive gestures lead to the release of oxytocin, our bonding and connection hormone. Unsurprisingly, feeling more socially connected to those around us combats the negative health outcomes associated with loneliness and isolation.  

Cultivating a practice of gratitude 

For an elder millennial, I have a decisively old-school habit. I enjoy writing thank-you cards. I write them after job interviews. I write them to party organizers and to visiting speakers. I write them to neighbors who spontaneously drop off avocados. Though I appreciate a quick thank-you text, there is something intentional in our overly hurried world about taking the time to hand-write a card. Bonus points are awarded for finding a stamp and an envelope! 

Here are some other simple ways to cultivate gratitude: 

• Keep a gratitude journal. I like using an Ignatian Examen as a way to recognize God’s movements in my life directly before writing my blessings. 

• Pray in thanksgiving for loved ones. Let them know that you have expressed gratitude to the Lord for them. 

• Give warm and genuine compliments. (Every time my sons call each other “poo-poo heads” I am reminded of the power of kind words.) 

Litany of Gratitude 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the renewal offered through a new liturgical year, I am grateful for the Church and for our world. This litany is a modified version of one originally published in Our Sunday Visitor. 

The response is, “We thank you, O Lord.” 

For the wonder of your creation, we thank you, O Lord. 

For creating us in your image and likeness, we thank you, O Lord. 

For your fatherly love, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the gift of your Son, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we thank you, O Lord. 

For revealing yourself to us, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the tenderness of your mother, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the sacraments that bring us closer to your love, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the Eucharist that sustains us, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the love known and nurtured in family, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the friendships that nourish us, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the Church that guides us, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the witness of the saints, we thank you, O Lord. 

For clergy and all lived vocations, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the laypeople who inspire us, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the wisdom of our children, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the peace that is found in you and from you, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the joy that comes from praising you, we thank you, O Lord. 

For moments of struggle that help us to grow in virtue and holiness, we thank you, O Lord. 

For periods of sorrow that helps us remember to turn to you, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the gift of discernment, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the opportunity to serve the Church and the world, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the virtue of hope and its abiding comfort, we thank you, O Lord. 

For the continuous renewal offered through laughter and joy, we thank you, O Lord.  

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Copyright 2024 Janelle Peregoy
Images: Canva