Dear Parishioners:

On Thursday, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. A secular and uniquely American holiday commemorating the good fortune the Puritans found in the New World, a good fortune that we Americans share to this day. However, Thanksgiving Day also has religious and even Catholic overtones.

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington received a message from Congress requesting him "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer." His proclamation declared that the day "be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."

The first Thanksgiving feast shared by the Puritans and the Wampanoag tribe was arranged by Squanto, a Native American who the Dominican Friars from Spain had catechized. He had been captured by the English, who planned to sell him into slavery. The Dominicans Friars rescued him, instructed him in the Catholic Faith, baptized him, and helped him to return to his people. Squanto helped the Puritans survive by teaching them to hunt, fish, and grow corn. He also tried to help the Wampanoag tribe build a peaceful relationship with the Puritans, one that sadly did not survive.

The thanksgiving feast we recall was between the Wampanoag tribe and the Puritans. However, it wasn't the first celebration of Thanksgiving on American shores. Over 50 years before the Puritans established the Plymouth Colony, a group of Spanish colonists celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a feast with members of the Timucuan tribe near Saint Augustine, Florida.

When those Spanish priests celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving, it was the most Catholic thing to do. It is part of our Faith as Catholics to thank God for the many blessings he has given us. Most importantly, we give thanks for the gift of his son, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for the forgiveness of our sins. In our Catholic view of the world, that gift is the most powerful of all of God's gifts.

As Catholics, we celebrate Thanksgiving every time we go to Mass. The word eucharist comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving and reminds us that we have so much to be thankful for as followers of Christ. We are thankful for his love and his mercy. We are thankful for the Catholic Faith that has been passed on to us by all those who have gone before us. We find peace and joy in giving thanks and offering our gratitude to God.

First Catholic Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Augustine, Florida in 1585

We are called to share our gratitude, bounty, and blessings with others, especially those in need and less fortunate. That is the real lesson of the Thanksgiving feast. So, for this Thanksgiving and every day that will follow, we should look beyond our immediate family to share our blessings. Share the mercy and love God has showered upon us. We gather around the dinner table and enjoy a good meal but first, we gather at the altar, where we thank God. Begin the secular holiday of Thanking Day at Mass at 9:00 AM. Make it a true Catholic holiday, and give thanks to God!

Holidays can be stressful, whether hosting or traveling, celebrating with family, or spending the day alone. There's no better way to begin than with a prayer of thanksgiving to God, and that's especially true on Thanksgiving Day! Begin the day with this prayer:

"Good and gracious God, we give You thanks today, as we do all days, first and foremost, for the gift of creation and the gift of life. We ask You to bless this food that it may nourish us and sustain us, and strengthen our ability to do Your will. We pray in thanksgiving for all the hands involved in bringing it to our table. You tell us, Lord, that to whom much is given, much is expected. May this meal and the fellowship we enjoy not only serve as clear reminders of Your love of us but of Your call for us to share Your love and to serve our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. We ask this as we ask all things through Christ, our Lord. Amen."

As we offer our thanks to God for the blessings of OLM, Fr. Mahoney and I offer you our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!

It Is Right & Just to Give Thanks to God!