How to Pray the Thanksgiving Rosary — and Why It Matters

A missionary tradition can become a powerful way to cultivate gratitude and recognize God’s presence in your daily life.

(Photo courtesy of Christ in the City)

“Lord, thank you for 36 pounds of honey…”

“Jesus, thank you for getting to see Michael on street ministry today…”

“Father, thank you for your calm in the storm…”

When I was a missionary with Christ in the City in Denver, the “Thanksgiving Rosary” was a staple of community life. At the end of each day, we’d gather as a community in our chapel, kneel before the Eucharistic Lord and give thanks for the blessings of the day.

With 30+ missionaries gathered together, there was plenty to give thanks for — most days.

But we had our fair share of hard days: difficult encounters with friends on the street, a front-row seat to the brokenness of the world, challenging emotions, reactivated wounds. There were days when the silence during the Thanksgiving Rosary evidenced the heaviness of our hearts. In that silence, you could almost hear missionaries ask, “What is there to be grateful for??”

But yet, we gathered each evening to give thanks nonetheless — on the good days and on the tough days, when our hearts soared and when our hearts shattered.

Much ink has been spilled on the importance of gratitude, from secular and religious sources. It helps us live in the present, see the footsteps of God in our days and put things in perspective. Practicing gratitude is a great and holy thing for us. And some days, it’s a challenge.

This Thanksgiving, whether gratitude feels close and easy or distant and difficult, consider joining me in the practice of giving thanks — maybe even through a Thanksgiving Rosary.

How to Pray the Thanksgiving Rosary

1. First, open the time of prayer with a simple dedication: “Lord, we offer you this Thanksgiving Rosary for the many blessings of this day.” This orients the time of prayer and gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts.

2. Then, either in personal prayer or in community, quietly or aloud, thank God for whatever is on your heart. Maybe you had a good conversation, an unexpected encounter or a good cup of tea — really good. All good things come from God, so give thanks to him for it!

   1. Try to always direct your thanks to God, too. “Jesus, thank you for…” “Father, thank you for…” “Lord, thank you for…” The specificity helps!

   2. You might even want to thank God for a challenging experience. That’s beautiful! The key here is to pray from the heart in authentic gratitude.

3. Once you’ve given thanks for 10 things, pray a Glory Be to return honor, glory and praise back to God for all the good gifts he’s given.

4. Feel free to repeat that process a few more times until you have a full 5 “decades” of gratitude in your Thanksgiving Rosary!

5. If you’re praying by yourself or in a small group, 50 things to be grateful for might be tough. You can certainly expand the timeframe (things to give thanks for from the last week or month) or only pray a decade or two. Whatever works — the point is to give thanks to God!