Dear Parishioners:
This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. It is the final Sunday of the liturgical church year; the Holy Season of Advent begins next Sunday. It is a relatively recent feast, instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, emphasizing Christ's sovereignty and reign over all creation.
As Saint Pope Paul VI reminds us, "Jesus Christ, You have heard Him spoken of, indeed the greater part of you are already His – you are Christians. So, to you Christians I repeat His name, to everyone I proclaim Him –Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. He is the king of the new world. He is the secret of history. He is the key to our destiny." "
On this Thursday, we celebrate the most American of holidays, Thanksgiving Day! It is a day when we, as a nation, gather with family and friends to give thanks to God for the year's bounty. With great thanksgiving, we express our gratitude for freedom, family, and food.
When President Abraham Lincoln instituted the national holiday, he called on his ""fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." "
Our country has continued to celebrate the day as a national holiday since 1863. Though President Lincoln began the national tradition 162 years ago, his declaration followed a long tradition of setting aside a Thursday to give thanks to God, begun by President George Washington in 1789.
Jennie Augusta Brownscombe's 1925 portrait, Thanksgiving at Plymouth, is now on display at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
The oldest and most iconic story of Thanksgiving is that of the passengers and crew of the Mayflower, who landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in November 1620. Following a harsh winter, during which much of its population perished from scurvy and inadequate shelter, these "Pilgrim" settlers at Plymouth were able to grow enough crops to provide for the colony.
After the abundant harvest, the fifty remaining settlers spent three days feasting and giving thanks to God for his blessings. These remaining colonists were also joined by ninety Wampanoags, who had been instrumental in helping the settlers survive the tough conditions of that first winter.
The story of the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower isn't just a national folktale. But it serves as a reminder to our nation and our families. In addition to watching football, eating a delicious family meal, and revisiting the story of the Pilgrims, I believe it is important to remember that the holiday is first and foremost meant as a day of giving thanks to God.
As American Catholics, Thanksgiving has an even deeper meaning for us. The best way to begin Thanksgiving Day is with Holy Mass. "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word eukharistia, which literally means "thanksgiving". The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists several names for this Sacrament. Still, the first is "Eucharist, because it is an action of thanksgiving to God. "
One of the earliest Catholic texts on the Sacraments is the Didache, written around the beginning of the second century. The author of the text exhorts us, after having been filled with the Eucharist, to give thanks to the Father for his bountiful love.
Why go to Mass on Thanksgiving Day, since it is a national holiday and not a holy day of obligation? I cannot think of a better way to celebrate this day than to begin it by giving thanks through Christ Jesus in his offering to the Father. And while we need to remember to be thankful for the little things in our lives, we should be all the more thankful for the sacrifice Christ offered on our behalf! Further, Jesus gives us a way to participate in his very sacrifice through the Eucharist.
So start your Thanksgiving Day with Holy Mass and join us on Thursday at 9:00 am. Bishop Evans is our celebrant, and Father Brodeur is our preacher. St. Teresa of Avila said, "In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks."
Fr. Brodeur and I wish you a Happy and Holy Thanksgiving! He will join his family in Westerly on Thanksgiving Day, and I will head north to my sister's home in Saratoga, New York. Be well. Do Good. God Bless. Go Pats!