we give thanks

In the opening of his First Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives us an interesting and important insight into the attitude of the early Christian community and suggests a mentality and approach we should strive to continue today.

The First Letter to the Thessalonians 1:2 (NABRE) reads: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers.” The Greek word translated as “we give thanks,” εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteo), is the verb form from the same Greek root that gives us the English word Eucharist. The name of our sacrament literally means thanksgiving and roots its origins in a particular type of Old Testament offering outlined at various places in the book of Leviticus and elsewhere.

As we see in this verse, the early Christian community embraced this spirit and attitude of thanksgiving and let in permeate every facet of their lives and relationships with one another. Do we do the same? Are we able to find reasons to be thankful in these trying times? Do we show this gratitude toward God and toward others?

you also may like our two-part study of the prophets
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided examines the prophets in historical context using the First and Second Books of the Kings and other Old Testament passages written before the Babylonian Exile. Volume II: Restoration & Redemption looks at the post-exilic prophets. This 51-lesson Catholic Bible study builds on The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Click on these links to view a lesson from Volume I and another from Volume II.

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