Cardinal Leo's Message for Thanksgiving

Message for Thanksgiving
12 October 2026
His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo
Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

May Jesus and Mary be in your souls.

I am writing to you in anticipation of Thanksgiving, often associated with family gatherings, the harvest, and the many blessings of daily life. Yet the Scriptures invite us to look beyond the gifts themselves and contemplate their source. The psalmist declares: "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light" (Ps 36:9).

The image of a fountain is particularly striking. A fountain is not a stagnant pool but a living source from which water continually flows. We are reminded that God is not simply one blessing among many. He is the source of every blessing, the One from whom life itself proceeds (CCC 301). Thanksgiving, therefore, is not merely about counting what we have received, it is about recognizing that every good thing ultimately finds its origin in God.

The second image is that of light. We often think of light as something that dispels darkness, and certainly God's light does expose sin, injustice, and all that opposes his love—as witnessed by the generosity of so many at this time. Yet there is something even more profound in the psalmist's words: "In your light we see light”. God's light enables us to perceive reality as it truly is (Gregory of Nyssa, On Virginity, Ch. 11); we recognize the beauty that reflects his glory, the goodness that reveals his providence, and the truth that leads us to him (Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on the Psalms, 41/42). God is not merely beautiful, good, and true; he is Beauty itself, Goodness itself, and Truth itself. Every created thing reflects these divine perfections in some measure (CCC 41). The more we live in his light, the more we learn to see them—and the more reasons we find for wonder, gratitude, and praise.

Just as the eye requires light in order to see, the human heart requires God's light to recognize the deeper meaning of life (Dei Filius, Ch. 4). Without God, we may look at the world and see only ordinary things: food on a table, the changing colours of autumn, family and friends gathered together. But in God's light we begin to see these realities differently, recognizing them as signs of his goodness, expressions of his providence, and invitations to communion with him (CCC 2500).

This Thanksgiving I would invite us to not simply thank God for his bounty, but also ask him to enlighten our hearts so that we may truly see his gifts for what they are. In his light we discover the source of every blessing, learning to recognize his presence in our lives, and giving thanks that endures long after this weekend has passed. I would also ask that you pray for those who are struggling during these difficult times with food insecurity and economic uncertainty. May God Bless you and your families this Thanksgiving Weekend.