Nov. 23, 2017: Thanksgiving Day
Nov. 23, 2017: Thanksgiving Day
What is it like to witness Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City? It’s estimated that more than 44 million people watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV each year. What’s even more incredible is that 3.5 million brave people line the parade route in New York City to watch the parade. A parishioner who braved the crowd, cold and wet weather, and lack of bathroom facilities shared that it was an experience of a lifetime, but would not do it again. Why do people continue to travel to New York City to watch this parade? Perhaps it reminds people of their Thanksgiving Day ritual at home where they spent time watching the parade on TV as they wait for their family and relatives to arrive for the main meal.
What is your family’s Thanksgiving Day ritual? One family explained that their family gathers around a card table in the living room to share a once-a-year breakfast where over the delicious muffins and pastries, each person records the year’s blessings on notebook paper. After they filled out their papers, they review their family’s Thanksgiving Journal, which contain their lists from the past 30 years. After their breakfast, the turkey goes into the oven. The heart of their Thanksgiving Day happens before the busyness of various people coming and leaving their home throughout the day, when as family they add the year’s memories to a growing collection of God’s blessings.
That’s what we are doing this morning at this Thanksgiving Day mass. As a family of God, we interrupt the normal routine of life and gather to give thanks for all the blessings we received this year. Sometimes in the rush of life as we speed forward through the day, we forget to stop, turn around, and say thanks to God. The nine cured lepers in today’s gospel were too preoccupied with their miraculous cure that they forgot to turn around and give thanks to Jesus who cured them. Like the one leper who returned to Jesus to show his gratitude, we need to stop and express our gratitude for the greatest gift that God has given us--the gift of his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul echoes this sentiment as he said, “I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way…”
Our lives are truly enriched by what Jesus has done for us, so we stop to offer thanksgiving, which is the very heart of the Eucharist. We have a merciful God that even when we are so blessed by Him and we don’t give thanks like the nine lepers, He continues to sustain and protect us. How awesome it is to know that we have a compassionate Savior who wants everyone to be saved! We pray that all of our loved ones in our lives will experience a turnaround in their lives to recognize the truth that God is the center and that everything we have comes from Him.
What is it like to witness Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City? It’s estimated that more than 44 million people watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV each year. What’s even more incredible is that 3.5 million brave people line the parade route in New York City to watch the parade. A parishioner who braved the crowd, cold and wet weather, and lack of bathroom facilities shared that it was an experience of a lifetime, but would not do it again. Why do people continue to travel to New York City to watch this parade? Perhaps it reminds people of their Thanksgiving Day ritual at home where they spent time watching the parade on TV as they wait for their family and relatives to arrive for the main meal.
What is your family’s Thanksgiving Day ritual? One family explained that their family gathers around a card table in the living room to share a once-a-year breakfast where over the delicious muffins and pastries, each person records the year’s blessings on notebook paper. After they filled out their papers, they review their family’s Thanksgiving Journal, which contain their lists from the past 30 years. After their breakfast, the turkey goes into the oven. The heart of their Thanksgiving Day happens before the busyness of various people coming and leaving their home throughout the day, when as family they add the year’s memories to a growing collection of God’s blessings.
That’s what we are doing this morning at this Thanksgiving Day mass. As a family of God, we interrupt the normal routine of life and gather to give thanks for all the blessings we received this year. Sometimes in the rush of life as we speed forward through the day, we forget to stop, turn around, and say thanks to God. The nine cured lepers in today’s gospel were too preoccupied with their miraculous cure that they forgot to turn around and give thanks to Jesus who cured them. Like the one leper who returned to Jesus to show his gratitude, we need to stop and express our gratitude for the greatest gift that God has given us--the gift of his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul echoes this sentiment as he said, “I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way…”
Our lives are truly enriched by what Jesus has done for us, so we stop to offer thanksgiving, which is the very heart of the Eucharist. We have a merciful God that even when we are so blessed by Him and we don’t give thanks like the nine lepers, He continues to sustain and protect us. How awesome it is to know that we have a compassionate Savior who wants everyone to be saved! We pray that all of our loved ones in our lives will experience a turnaround in their lives to recognize the truth that God is the center and that everything we have comes from Him.
