With great joy, we celebrate our national holiday of Thanksgiving today. We are glad to have you all at Mass this morning, to give thanks to God in the sacrament of the Eucharist and to listen to his holy word as we give thanks to him as individuals, as families, as a nation, and as a community of faith.
In our reading from the book of Sirach, the author blesses the God of all who has wondrous things here on earth. We bless God and give thanks for the goodness of creation. Through nature and through God’s creation, we human beings are given what we need for our lives here on earth. We think of the first immigrants here in North America who depended on God’s creation and the assistance of the native people to create settlements here, overcoming many struggles and challenges. We give thanks for their courage and tenacity.
Another important part of our celebration of Thanksgiving today is giving thanks for our community. We give thanks are individuals and as families, but also as a community. We come together today in love with our families and our friends. In love and compassion, we remember those who live in need. We offer up our prayers for them and we think of ways to help them with our assistance.
Although thanksgiving is not solely a Christian celebration, as disciples of Christ, we wholeheartedly show our gratitude to God for the gift of his son. Jesus celebrated in food and fellowship with his disciples, with members of the community, and with those on the margins of society. Jesus also give us hope that the joy, thanksgiving, and love we express here on earth will be multiplied immeasurably when we enter eternal life with him in his kingdom.
We have the example of faith in our Gospel today of the one leper who returned after he was healed to give thanksgiving to Jesus. That act of thanksgiving was very important to that leper. May all of us have that same joy of Thanksgiving in our hearts. Blessings to all of you as we celebrate Thanksgiving day today and give thanks to God.
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