Fr. Aidan Writes:
As an Englishman, Thanksgiving Day is a uniquely American experience, what with all the turkeys, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, (which I am cooking this year for the Josephites). So I looked up some interesting quotes about thanksgiving itself rather than the feast
day.
Cicero (1st century Roman orator and statesman) tells us “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues”. Meister Eckhart (a 14th century Dominican Mystic) “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough”. “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some” said Charles Dickens, the great 19th century novelist. And simply put by W Clement Stone (US 20 century business man and one of the first self-help gurus) “If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share”.
But for Catholics and those Christian communities that celebrate Eucharist, Thanksgiving Day is Sunday. Eucharist means thanksgiving; thanking the Lord for the joys, sorrows, hopes and sufferings we all have experienced, are enduring or have overcome through the kindness of others. We thank the Lord for them as they shape who we are. Apparently, part of the tradition for those who gather at the table is to give thanks for someone/something that has happened in the past year. Mine is this… you!
God bless and “Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.”
Fr Aidan-Peter CJ
May God bless you, your families, and the week ahead,
Fr Aidan Peter