Reflection
Today, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated across the United States.
President George Washington suggested a National Day of Thanksgiving, and President Abraham Lincoln named the last Thursday in November as a “day of thanksgiving.” Our current Thanksgiving Day was enacted by law in 1941, to be observed beginning in 1942.
Many families will be drawing up to the dinner table to celebrate this holiday with a special meal. There will be prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings of God in our lives. Perhaps each person will be asked to name something for which he or she gives thanks.
Perhaps many more families will be sitting down at their table to a more modest meal, some of it gathered from a local food bank, or some families will be served in a large common dining area with a meal provided by local benefactors and sponsors.
Perhaps some people may even find it difficult to enter into a spirit of thanksgiving with others. However, we Catholics live a daily thanksgiving in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Every Mass celebrated is an act of communal thanksgiving by the Body of Christ today. Although we might not be able to be present in person, every Mass is our Mass of Thanksgiving.
As a Passionist Family, we pause to thank God for the fellowship of our religious and laity. As our Passionist Communities are celebrating the Eucharist of Thanksgiving Day, we will include in our intentions the well-being in heart and in home of our Passionist friends and benefactors.
We are so very thankful for you.
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!
