This Thanksgiving prayer, offered by Br. David and accompanied by Gary Malkin’s inspired music, looks towards the possibility of our world uniting in an overflow of gratitude. We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving Day…and year ahead!

Giver of All Good Gifts – A Thanksgiving Prayer

Giver of all good gifts,
You have spread the world out before us like a feast,
Like a table that is set by Your motherly love before us.
Open our hearts to feast at Your table.
To show our gratitude
By remembering all those who have so much less than we have,
By letting some of our own wealth overflow to them,
By making those who are lonely – while we have friends and company –
By making them less lonely,
By being available for them.

And make the whole world one big joyful table fellowship:
Eating together,
Singing together,
Dancing together
In an overflowing of gratitude.

(Gregorian Choir singing)

Listen to the audio version of this Thanksgiving prayer here.


Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB
Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB

Brother David Steindl-Rast — author, scholar, and Benedictine monk — is beloved the world over for his enduring message about gratefulness as the true source of lasting happiness. Known to many as the “grandfather of gratitude,” Br. David has been a source of inspiration and spiritual friendship to countless leaders and luminaries around the world including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and more. He has been one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement, and has taught with thought-leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Jack Kornfield, and Roshi Joan Halifax. His wisdom has been featured in recent interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Krista Tippett, and Tami Simon and his TED talk has been viewed almost 10,000,000 times. Learn more about Br. David here.

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