An Informal
Great Thanksgiving
By: Dr. Gregory S. Neal

Almighty and most gracious Father,
with thankful hearts we praise you
for the patient love and forgiving grace
which you have made known to us
in your Son our savior Jesus Christ.

We are truly amazed when we remember the sacrifice
that Jesus made on our behalf.
Not only did he step into the human flesh
which we share,
and experience the power of temptation
which we face,
but he also accepted the penalty which we are due
and was nailed to a cross which we deserve.
He died that we might never know eternal death
He died that we might never be separated from you
He died that our sins might forever be washed away
and that we might be made whole.
We thank you for his sacrifice
We thank you for his grace
We thank you for his Holy Presence, here in our midst
and everywhere that Christians draw near to you
and partake of this blessed Sacrament of love.

For on that night before Jesus died for us
when he was gathered together with his disciples
He took bread
gave thanks to you,
broke the bread
gave it to his disciples
and said:
“Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you
do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over
He took the cup
blessed it
gave it to his Disciples
and said:
“Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood
which is shed for you and for many for the
forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

At this moment,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
we profess to you, and to all the world,
that we are joined together,
at the Table of the Lord,
with those very same Disciples
and with every believer in Jesus Christ,
who has ever lived,
lives now
or who shall ever live in ages to come.
And, as we gather in the mystical body of Christ,
we know that the Real Presence of Jesus
is made present to us
through our prayers
through the Holy Scriptures
and through very Sacrament,
set before us.

As we eat and drink these elements,
with our faith focused only on Christ Jesus,
And as we are re-membered to the Body of Christ in Glory,
we thank you for the grace we now receive
the forgiveness of our sins which we have in Christ’s outpoured blood
and the wholeness of mind, body, and spirit
which we are promised from
in his bruised flesh.
May we respond, by faith, to the grace we have received,
and may we always be ready to profess our faith
in Jesus
to all whom we meet.

In Jesus Holy Name we pray. Amen