For what ought we to thank God? For the fact that:
1. He led us from non-existence to existence.
2. He honored us with a human, not an animal soul.
3. He redeemed us with His Precious Blood.
4. He granted us the right to be heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
5. Although He has been angry and exasperated with us many times, we have never experienced the fullness of His wrath.
6. Despite our grave sins, He hasn’t destroyed us in our sins, but has preserved us alive.
7. He acts in our sins, preserving us whole, not allowing the devil to immediately devour us.
8. He awaits our repentance, and we’re still alive, not dead.
9. The worms aren’t eating our bodies in the graves yet.
10. Our souls aren’t in hades yet.
11. There’s still time for our repentance.
Oh, how we must thank God for this!
St. Dimitry of Rostov
Translation by Jesse Dominick
Azbyka.ru
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Why a man should be grateful to God for sorrows, trials, and temptations
Sorrows, trials, and temptations that are providentially permitted also serve as an important means of arousing love for God. And just as a son shows gratitude to his father, if he brings him up in good morals and temperance with opportune punishments and thereby makes him a worthy member of society, so a Christian should be eternally grateful to God for the fact that He not only cleanses him from the filth of sin with His providential actions, but also makes him a worthy inhabitant of the Heavenly city.
Thanksgiving—a God-pleasing means
The constant remembrance of God by a loving heart consists in ongoing gratitude for His infinite mercies to a sinner, in prayerful conversation with Him and divine contemplation. The feeling of gratitude is born from contemplating God’s benefactions, as these benefactions are “not only innumerable, but also incomprehensible to the mind.” Then the feeling of thanksgiving in a loving heart should never dry up… And this gratitude from man is a God-pleasing means that attracts the gracious streams of Divine life to his soul.
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Thanksgiving is the heartfelt and joyous feeling of God’s goodness.
Thanksgiving is the memory of benefactions.
Thanksgiving is a Christian SACRIFICE to God.
This SACRIFICE is most pleasing to God.
Thanksgiving is a sign of living FAITH.
The name of God is glorified by sincere thanksgiving.
Thank God every minute for His endless benefactions.
Remember that all good things are from God, and we must thank God.
Thanksgiving is the only thing we can offer to Christ in return for our redemption.
Faith arouses thanksgiving for the saving work of Christ.
Thank God for His paternal punishment.
When God doesn’t punish for sins, this is His mercy, and we must give thanks for it.
GRACE teaches thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is born from contemplating God’s benefactions.
Faith and reverence for God require that we thank Him for all things.
There’s no such thing as thanksgiving without love and HUMILITY.
We should thank God not only with our lips, but also with our hearts.
CAREFULLY consider whether there is thanksgiving in our souls for the infinite BENEFACTIONS of God.
Thanksgiving attracts new benefactions.
A sinner doesn’t show thanksgiving to God until He’s been corrected.
Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov)
Translation by Jesse Dominick
Azbyka.ru
