LETTER FROM KATIE • March 4, 2026
Patrick Dougher, Higher Power, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 28 × 22 in. Via Art & Theology Blog
Dear Holy Comforter,
I have really enjoyed the silence during our services this Lent as we’ve taken time to pray through the steps of the Examen Prayer together.
On the first Sunday in Lent, we considered the invitation to remember that we are always in God’s presence and that he is eager for us to turn toward him and ask for clarity and understanding when we pray.
This past Sunday, we gave thanks for all the gifts we have received from God, the giver of every good thing.
It is striking to me how often people who have prayed the Examen for many years point to this step—gratitude—as the most transformative in their relationship with God. There is something quietly powerful about ending the day with just a few moments of thanksgiving. It softens and humbles the heart. It brings to awareness the countless gifts that are so easily overlooked and, over time, teaches the eyes to notice the quiet graces that were present all along—if only we would slow down enough to see them.
Gratitude also gently widens our vision, especially in seasons of confusion or discouragement. When our thoughts begin to whisper that God is distant or absent, the practice of giving thanks can be a way to combat despair as we ask God to reveal small but unmistakable signs of his steady presence. In this way, gratitude is meant to become a faithful way of seeing the world with hope, with trust, and with a growing awareness of the ways that God is at work in us and in the world.
But I know how difficult it can be to give thanks when you are walking through something painful—especially when it feels beyond your control or understanding. Gratitude can feel nearly impossible. If that is where you find yourself, you might consider spending some quiet time this week praying the prayers of thanksgiving in the Book of Common Prayer. I’ve included some below to get you started.
A LITANY OF THANKSGIVING
Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us:
For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea,
We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
We thank you, Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.
For health and strength to work, and time to rest and worship,
We thank you, Lord.
For all who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.
For all who earnestly seek after truth, and all who labor for justice,
We thank you, Lord.
For all that is good and gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father,
and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen
A THANKSGIVING PRAYER
Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side. We thank you for setting us at tasks that demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments that satisfy and delight us. We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone. Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he conquered death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom. Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.
FOR THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, for ever and ever. Amen.
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the wonder of your creatures, large and small; and for all the loveliness that surrounds us. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.
FOR THE DIVERSITY OF RACES AND CULTURES
O God, who created all peoples in your image: We thank you for the diversity of races and cultures in this world. Show us your presence in those who differ from us, and enrich our lives with their fellowship, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With thanks for each of you,
Katie
