WEBVTT 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:02.680 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:06.040 of the Holy Spirit, it's my joy to greet you 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:13.699 on this bright Thanksgiving day. President Abraham 00:00:13.699 --> 00:00:18.440 Lincoln set aside Thanksgiving in, I guess it 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:23.620 was 1863, and he wrote beautiful and compunctionate 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:27.559 and repentant words about the state of the Union 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:30.949 at the time. Words of thanks, words of repentance. 00:00:31.070 --> 00:00:36.130 But before him, President George Washington made 00:00:36.130 --> 00:00:40.850 a Thanksgiving Day proclamation of 1789. And 00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:44.409 he set aside a day for the thanksgiving to God 00:00:44.409 --> 00:00:48.909 of all the people in the country. And this is 00:00:48.909 --> 00:00:51.630 something that he wrote, an excerpt. He said 00:00:51.630 --> 00:00:55.909 this, we gather today, we give thanks today. 00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.420 we acknowledge the providence of Almighty God 00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:05.140 to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:09.819 and humbly to implore his protection and favor, 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:14.640 to offer public thanksgiving and prayer with 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:19.079 grateful hearts for the many signal favors of 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:22.379 Almighty God, who is the beneficent author of 00:01:22.379 --> 00:01:27.280 all that is good, all that was, All that is and 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:34.420 all that will be. You don't hear words like that 00:01:34.420 --> 00:01:38.620 anymore unless they're looking for votes, and 00:01:38.620 --> 00:01:43.099 they're not that profound. That's for sure. But 00:01:43.099 --> 00:01:47.480 note what he says here. All that was, we give 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:51.120 thanks. All that is, we give thanks. And all 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:55.730 that will be. Our thanksgiving, our offering 00:01:55.730 --> 00:01:58.969 of thanksgiving, especially the divine liturgy, 00:01:59.069 --> 00:02:02.849 is not merely for the benefits we've received, 00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:10.270 which even in the midst of so many troubles and 00:02:10.270 --> 00:02:17.949 so much suffering are very many. But we also 00:02:17.949 --> 00:02:20.750 give thanks with an eye towards God's continued 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:26.400 providential care for us. We thank him for yesterday. 00:02:27.180 --> 00:02:32.280 We thank him for today. We thank him for every 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:40.120 tomorrow. Case in point, the ten lepers. The 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:42.599 ten lepers were told to go. They came to Christ. 00:02:43.819 --> 00:02:46.800 They shouted at him. It took some faith to do 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.659 that. They weren't looking for money. Not when 00:02:52.659 --> 00:02:57.500 pieces of their hands and their noses are falling 00:02:57.500 --> 00:03:00.520 off because of Hansen's disease. They come to 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:05.000 Christ and he tells them, go to the priests to 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:07.639 be certified that you are clean. That's why they 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.039 went. Go to the priest and they will certify 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:14.539 that you are no longer leprous. But they were 00:03:14.539 --> 00:03:18.060 told to do this by Jesus before they were healed. 00:03:20.270 --> 00:03:23.590 Before they were healed. And that going to the 00:03:23.590 --> 00:03:28.069 priest involved a good measure of faith for blessings 00:03:28.069 --> 00:03:31.469 to come. Now why do I say that? Just kind of 00:03:31.469 --> 00:03:34.030 expect it's going to happen? No, it wasn't about 00:03:34.030 --> 00:03:39.490 that. According to the law of the day, a leper 00:03:39.490 --> 00:03:43.330 was forbidden to go near anyone and to go into 00:03:43.330 --> 00:03:48.860 the town upon immediate penalty of death. They 00:03:48.860 --> 00:03:52.120 weren't going to ask questions. You would just 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:57.520 be killed immediately. So there was faith in 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:00.439 the action of those men. They acted on faith 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:07.580 and were invited to do the same. Like the one 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:12.219 healed from leprosy that returned to Jesus, that 00:04:12.219 --> 00:04:18.709 leper. Let each of us, let each of us, deliberately, 00:04:19.069 --> 00:04:25.709 intentionally, and continually turn our inner 00:04:25.709 --> 00:04:31.149 gaze, our mind, to thanksgiving to God, especially 00:04:31.149 --> 00:04:35.269 in the midst of trouble. Yes, even during 2020, 00:04:35.430 --> 00:04:40.430 as it's drawing to an end, especially during 00:04:40.430 --> 00:04:46.040 2020. we're going to turn deliberately and intentionally 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.300 and continually our gaze to Thanksgiving, not 00:04:49.300 --> 00:04:53.920 in an attempt to make ourselves feel good. You 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.199 can take a pill if that's what you really want. 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:00.259 And it's not an attempt to minimize the suffering 00:05:00.259 --> 00:05:08.160 of so many people and the hunger and the alienation, 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:15.360 like those lepers, of so many people. The headlines, 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:20.759 massive lines of cars, miles long waiting for 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:30.579 food. Poverty. COVID increase, spiking. Joblessness 00:05:30.579 --> 00:05:35.199 and jobless frauds in the millions in California. 00:05:37.060 --> 00:05:45.779 Especially 2020. How dreadful. These days are. 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:54.279 But into it is the opportunity to have faith 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:59.800 on what is to come. I'm not a politician. I'm 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:01.839 not going to tell you better days are ahead. 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:06.579 Working together, we can make things right. Working 00:06:06.579 --> 00:06:09.860 together, everyone's going to get ahead. Working 00:06:09.860 --> 00:06:13.639 together, you'll be fine. I'm not a politician. 00:06:14.269 --> 00:06:18.250 I'm here to tell you what St. Paul says. This 00:06:18.250 --> 00:06:22.709 slight momentary affliction is preparing us for 00:06:22.709 --> 00:06:26.189 an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. 00:06:26.529 --> 00:06:29.449 Because we look not to the things that are seen, 00:06:29.670 --> 00:06:33.250 but to the things that are unseen. For the things 00:06:33.250 --> 00:06:35.629 that are seen are transient, they pass away. 00:06:35.810 --> 00:06:39.350 But the things that are unseen are eternal. St. 00:06:39.449 --> 00:06:45.389 Paul says he rejoices in his tribulations. Let 00:06:45.389 --> 00:06:50.490 us not take God for granted. Let us deliberately 00:06:50.490 --> 00:06:53.670 focus on gratitude, knowing that Christ is guiding 00:06:53.670 --> 00:06:58.750 us during difficult times. We mature spiritually. 00:06:59.310 --> 00:07:05.670 We pray more. We give alms more. We pray for 00:07:05.670 --> 00:07:08.730 those less fortunate more. How do we pray? Not 00:07:08.730 --> 00:07:13.680 a nod to God. Oh God, please remember Bob. We 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.120 fall down on our hands and knees in prostrations. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:20.579 We fast for them. We offer an akathist, a supplicatory 00:07:20.579 --> 00:07:27.500 canon. We say Jesus prayers for them. We, secondly, 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:30.699 don't want to take God for granted. And if we 00:07:30.699 --> 00:07:32.699 forget to be grateful, we will do that. Listen, 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:36.279 the prophet Moses said, do not say to yourself, 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:43.680 my power and the might of my own hand. have gotten 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:51.079 me this wealth. Let's practice active, prayerful, 00:07:51.139 --> 00:07:57.220 liturgical giving of thanks, not blame God, not 00:07:57.220 --> 00:08:00.740 complain about the things of this life that are 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:06.540 often given to us directly by God's hand to help 00:08:06.540 --> 00:08:12.819 us and guide us. We're Christians. It's an odd 00:08:12.819 --> 00:08:15.660 thing to say, but we have given God permission 00:08:15.660 --> 00:08:21.459 for our lives to be in his hands. And so all 00:08:21.459 --> 00:08:25.079 that comes to us as Christians because we have 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:28.779 given God this authority in our life. We say, 00:08:28.779 --> 00:08:35.500 our Father, thy will be done on earth, here in 00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:39.820 my heart, in my life, in my daily work, as it 00:08:39.820 --> 00:08:45.159 is in heaven. We have given God this great trust. 00:08:47.559 --> 00:08:50.340 So we give thanks to him for whatever comes to 00:08:50.340 --> 00:08:58.460 us. We rejoice even in them. Father Alexander 00:08:58.460 --> 00:09:00.840 Schmemann said these wonderful words, his last 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:06.019 sermon, just two weeks before he died. The sermon 00:09:06.019 --> 00:09:08.379 of Thanksgiving Day. You've all heard it numerous 00:09:08.379 --> 00:09:13.750 times. Thank you, Lord, for the sufferings you 00:09:13.750 --> 00:09:18.169 bestow upon us, for they are purifying us from 00:09:18.169 --> 00:09:22.009 selfishness and reminding us of the one thing 00:09:22.009 --> 00:09:26.490 needful, your eternal kingdom. Thank you, Lord, 00:09:26.529 --> 00:09:30.289 for giving us this country where we are free 00:09:30.289 --> 00:09:33.740 to worship you. Thank you, Lord, for this parish 00:09:33.740 --> 00:09:36.460 where the name of God is proclaimed. Thank you, 00:09:36.460 --> 00:09:39.759 Lord, for our families, husbands, wives, and 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.820 especially children who teach us how to celebrate 00:09:42.820 --> 00:09:46.299 your holy name in joy, movement, and holy noise. 00:09:47.059 --> 00:09:50.419 Thank you, O Lord, for everyone and for everything. 00:09:51.860 --> 00:09:54.879 Great art thou, O Lord, and marvelous are thy 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:58.200 works, and there is no word which sufficeth to 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:01.809 him thy wonders. O Lord. It is good to be here. 00:10:02.250 --> 00:10:02.610 Amen.