Thanksgiving 2007
22 Nov. 2007
St. Mary’s, S.I.

The Importance of Thanksgiving

FIVE THOUSAND BREATHLESS DAWNS ALL NEW;
FIVE THOUSAND SUNSETS WRAPPED IN GOLD;
ONE MILLION SNOWFLAKES SERVED ICE COLD;
FIVE QUIET FRIENDS; ONE BABY’S LOVE;
ONE WHITE MAD SEA WITH CLOUDS ABOVE.

ONE HUNDRED MUSIC-HAUNTED DREAMS
OF MOON-DRENCHED ROADS AND HURRYING STREAMS,
OF PROPHESYING WINDS AND TREES,
OF SILENT STARS AND DROWSING BEES;

ONE JUNE NIGHT IN A FRAGRANT WOOD;
ONE HEART THAT LOVED AND UNDERSTOOD.
I WONDERED WHEN I WAKED AT DAY,
HOW – IN GOD’S NAME – I COULD PAY.

    WELL, WE COULDN’T POSSIBLY PAY FOR GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS, COULD WE?  WE CAN ONLY BE GRATEFUL FOR THEM.  AND WE CAN ONLY REMEMBER TO THANK GOD THROUGHOUT EACH DAY FOR GOD’S MERCY AND GOODNESS SHOWERED SO LIBERALLY UPON US.

    ANYONE STUDYING THE LIFE OF JESUS WILL DISCOVER THAT HE PRACTICED CERTAIN HOLY HABITS.  FOR EXAMPLE, HE HABITUALLY WENT TO WORSHIP IN EITHER THE TEMPLE OR THE SYNAGOGUE.  ON THE SABBATH YOU KNOW WHERE YOU COULD FIND HIM.  HE ALSO MUST HAVE READ THE SCRIPTURES REGULARLY.  HE KNEW THEM WELL AND QUOTED FROM THEM FREQUENTLY.  HE ALSO HAD THE HOLY HABIT OF PUTTING HIS FAITH INTO PRACTICE – CALL IT THE HABIT OF SERVICE.

    WE SEE HIM FEEDING THE HUNGRY, MINISTERING TO THE SICK, THE LONELY – TO ANYONE HE SAW IN NEED.  JESUS ALSO PRACTICED THE HOLY HABITS OF GIVING, WORKING AND ESPECIALLY THE HOLY HABIT OF PRAYING AND GIVING THANKS TO GOD.  WHEN HE INSTITUTED THE EUCHARIST AT THE LAST SUPPER HE GAVE THANKS, AS WAS HIS CUSTOM, FOR THE BREAD AND WINE.

    WHY DO YOU THINK IT WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR JESUS TO OFFER GRATITUDE TO GOD THE FATHER?  BECAUSE JESUS KNEW AND HE WANTED EVERYONE ELSE TO KNOW, THAT EVERY GOOD GIFT COMES FROM THE HAND OF OUR LOVING CREATOR.  AS FAR AS OFFERING THANKS BEFORE MEALS WAS CONCERNED, JESUS WANTED US TO REMEMBER WHAT HATTIE BABCOCK PUT IN THESE WORDS:

    BACK OF THE LOAF IS THE SNOWY FLOUR.
    AND BACK OF THE FLOUR, THE MILL.
    AND BACK OF THE MILL IS THE WHEAT AND THE SHOWER,
    AND THE SUN AND THE FATHER’S WILL.
   
    JESUS KNEW THAT THE SOURCE OF HIS DAILY BREAD WAS THE FATHER.

    WHILE JESUS THANKED GOD REGULARLY, AS WE SHOULD, IT IS NEVERTHELESS A WONDERFUL THING WE SET ASIDE ONE DAY IN THE YEAR TO SPEND TIME BEING GRATEFUL, NOT ONLY FOR AN ABUNDANT LIFE, BUT FOR ALL THE GIFTS FROM THE FATHER’S UNFAILING HAND.

ON THANKSGIVING DAY THEN WE SHOULD PAUSE TO RECALL THAT WE ARE INDEED IN THE HANDS OF GOD.  WE ARE IN THE CARING HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO NEVER FORGETS US AND WHO PROVIDES FOR US IN WAYS TO NUMEROUS TO MENTION.

TO CELEBRATE A TRUE THANKSGIVING IS TO GET EVERYTHING IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE.  IT IS TO ADMIT THAT ULTIMATELY WE ARE NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT, BUT TOTALLY DEPENDANT UPON THE GRACE OF GOD.  THANKSGIVING DAY OFFERS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO STOP AND EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE PRECIOUSNESS OF LIFE, THE GOODNESS OF LIFE, THE DELICIOUSNESS OF LIFE’S BOUNTY GIVEN TO US BY GOD.  “GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED DOWN, AND RUNNING OVER.”

THANKSGIVING DAY IS ALSO A REMINDER THAT, LIKE JESUS, WE SHOULD PRACTICE HAVING THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE – THE HOLY HABIT OF THANKSGIVING.  THOSE WITH THE HABIT ARE THOSE WHO THANK GOD REGARDLESS OF WHAT LIFE DEALS THEM.

REMEMBER THAT JESUS WAS OFFERING THANKS TO GOD ON THE NIGHT BEFORE HE WAS TO BE CRUCIFIED.  AND IT WAS THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET, HABAKKUK, WHO SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH HIS FIG TREE DIDN’T BLOSSOM AND HIS GRAPE AND OLIVE CROPS FAILED AND HIS SHEEP AND CATTLE DIED, NEVERTHELESS HE WOULD REJOICE IN THE LORD.

WE TOO CAN BE THANKFUL IN ADVERSITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT GOD STILL CARES FOR US AND WILL SEE US THROUGH TO VICTORY REGARDLESS OF WHAT COMES.  WE WILL FIND THAT ALL OF LIFE BECOMES FILLED WITH MEANING AND JOY WHEN OUR HEARTS ARE GRATEFUL – WHEN WE THANK GOD FOR THE BLESSINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES EACH DAY BRINGS.

LET US FAITHFULLY THEN BEGIN, THIS THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, TO PRACTICE THE HOLY HABIT OF THANKSGIVING.   AMEN.