A Franciscan Clarean Thanksgiving: Gratitude as Holy Rebellion
Thanksgiving can be a complicated holiday—full of family, food, history, grief, joy, and everything in between. But in the Franciscan Clarean spirit, we don’t dodge complexity; we transform it. We take the messy, the tender, the ordinary, and we bless it. We turn gratitude into a kind of holy rebellion that pushes back against despair, greed, and isolation.
So here’s a simple, earthy, justice-soaked Thanksgiving ritual for anyone who wants to feast with a little more soul this year.
Start with a Breath
Before anything else, pause.
Feel the ground under your feet—the quiet generosity of Sister Earth. She asks for nothing and gives everything.
Whisper, softly or boldly:
“Thank you, Sister Earth. I stand on holy ground.”
A simple beginning. A grounding one.
A Call to Gratitude (Franciscan-Style)
Francis and Clare didn’t treat gratitude like a nicety; they treated it like a spiritual revolution. They knew that when our hearts overflow, we become dangerous to systems built on scarcity and fear.
So speak this aloud, or let your community chant it with a little rhythm:
“We thank You for all things—
the small, the fragile, the overlooked,
the daily bread and the daily breath.”
And whether you whisper or shout:
“For all good things, praise be!”
Name Something Small
Around the table, invite everyone to name something they’re grateful for—but here’s the Franciscan Clarean twist:
It must be something small.
A warm pair of socks.
A bird you heard this morning.
A laugh you didn’t expect.
Bread fresh from the oven.
A tiny bit of healing that snuck up on you.
Clare teaches us to find holiness in the small things. Gratitude begins there.
Remembering the Poor and Forgotten
No Franciscan Thanksgiving is complete without widening the circle of our prayer. Francis never let a full table exist without remembering empty ones.
Pray:
“God of the margins, bless the unhoused, the hungry, the lonely.
Make our gratitude dangerous—
the kind that leads to justice.”
And then answer:
“Let our feast become shared bread.”
Because gratitude that stops at the table isn’t real gratitude—it’s just décor. Gratitude that moves outward becomes compassion.
Blessing the Meal
Hold your hand over the food, or touch the table gently.
“Bless this food and all who grew it.
Bless the hands that harvested, shipped, cooked, and served.
Bless the creatures and the soil,
the workers and the waters,
the sun and the unseen microorganisms that labored for this moment.”
And don’t forget the Franciscan Clarean punchline:
“May this feast strengthen us for holy mischief in the world.”
A little humor. A little truth. A lot of love.
A Moment of Stillness
Let the room breathe.
Let gratitude sink into your bones.
Let quiet become a prayer.
A Short Reading for the Soul
Choose one that fits your table:
Option A — The Canticle Vibe
“Praise be to You, who makes each creature a sibling.
May we walk gently,
love wildly,
and remember that every sparrow, every stone, every stranger
belongs at Your table.”
Option B — Clarean Punk Energy
“The world is aching for tenderness.
May we be the ones who dare to offer it.”
Either way, it sets the tone: tenderness as revolution.
A Thanksgiving Toast
Lift whatever you’re drinking—tea, cider, wine, cranberry fizz.
“To gratitude that heals.
To community that resists despair.
To the Franciscan Clarean revolution of radical love.”
Everyone answers:
“Amen—and let’s eat!”
May Your Thanksgiving Be Tender and Wild
Wherever you are this season—surrounded by community, walking through grief, building new traditions, or sitting at a table that looks nothing like you imagined—may gratitude meet you gently.
And may the Franciscan Clarean way remind you that gratitude isn’t passive.
It’s active.
It’s wild.
It’s a spiritual force that can reshape the world—one small, tender, holy moment at a time.
Sister Abigail Hester 
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