By Patty Knap, EWTN News - Did you know the word “Eucharist” actually means “thanksgiving?”.. Growing up our family Thanksgiving Day always started by going to Mass... My mother would say, "It's God that we're thanking. What better way to be thankful than to go to Mass?"... The first Thanksgiving was an expression of gratitude, and ours can be too. There's plenty to complain and stress about, but we all have aspects of our lives and people in our lives to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is the acknowledgment that those blessings come from God.