As Orthodox Christians, we should give thanks to God every day, not just once a year. This, in effect, makes every day Thanksgiving Day for us. In the Vespers service, we hear in Psalm 104: “I will sing praises to myGod while I have my being”. Likewise, during Orthros/Matins, during the Praises we sing, “Let every breath praise the Lord”. We even make this declaration during the Divine Liturgy itself: “It is meet and right to hymn Thee, to bless Thee, to praise Thee, to give thanks to Thee, and to worship Thee in every place of Thy dominion” (from the Anaphora). Praise and thanksgiving is what we do. It defines who we are asChristians.Our ability to transcend our base instincts and truly come to know God, is what separates us from every other creature God made. As human beings, we were made in His image and given minds capable of thought, reflection, and growth. Our Lord provided us a way to participate in perfect union with Him. We are the only creatures God created that are both physical and spiritual in nature. As such we can go beyond the physical world in which we live and rise up to God. It is our ability to worship, to devote ourselves toGod and love Him as He loves us, that makes us precious in His sight.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t thank God as often as we should. This is why the Church reminds us constantly to do so through the divine services. Thanksgiving literally defines our Faith. It is why theSacrament of Sacraments is called the Eucharist — from the Greek eucharistia, or thanksgiving.