In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, amen. Glory to Jesus Christ.
Come, draw near, dear friends. No reason to be
so far. We're celebrating really an incredible
thing. It's a national holiday dedicated to...
Someone said, maybe it was last year. What are
you thankful for? And that's a good question.
And there's a good attitude of gratitude there,
which makes the person attractive to God's grace
with that attitude. The great famous theologian
musician Willie Nelson said, when I started counting
my blessings, my whole life turned around. St.
John Chrysostom said something different long
before. Happiness can only be achieved by looking
inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has,
and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.
What are you thankful for is a fine question,
and the attitude of gratitude is fine, but it's
only a beginning. First, Does that feeling or
inward sense of gratitude? It's a feeling. Feelings
are fine, but it's not enough. The gospel doesn't
talk about our feelings. Does that action, does
that attitude lead to direct action to the one
who is, as the liturgy says, the giver of every
good gift and every perfect gift, which is coming
down from above? from the Father of lights. That
is to say, not what are you thankful for, but
to whom are you thankful. Who do we give our
thanks to first in formulas? And that's what
we're doing here right now. That's what this
day is. Liturgically, always, every liturgy is
that. Don't you love the Psalms? We heard it
earlier. The Psalms said, the chanter said, The
sea is his. Everything's his. The sea is his
and he made it. And the dry lands he has fashioned.
Now, you know, it could have just been he made
everything. But it tells us and it celebrates
the fact that God has given those things as a
gift to us for our communion with him and in
him. That's what we're doing right now. Rejoice
always, says St. Paul. Pray without ceasing.
Two things there. Third, give thanks in all circumstances.
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks
in all circumstances. You might be miserable.
You might be bored. Give thanks to God. You might
be in pain. You might be suffering. You might
be disappointed. Give thanks to God. Give thanks
in everything, St. Paul says, no matter what
life has dealt you. Those words from his letter
to the Philippians. Written in prison, probably
chained to the wall. The Romans didn't offer
yard exercise or bathroom breaks. He was chained
to the wall. Give thanks in all circumstances.
Rejoice always, he says. There are many things
that are impossible without God. And this is
certainly one of them. My grace is sufficient
for thee, says St. Paul. The word St. Paul heard
from the Savior, which he writes, my grace is
perfected in weakness, says the Savior to St.
Paul. In your tribulation, in your difficulties,
we're perfected by those things. The God of all
did not come to solve the political problems,
the social problems, the economic problems. He
came to solve the problem of death and sin. I
love, and we read this last week. God, who is
rich in mercy because of his great love with
which he loved us, even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
Our model is that Samaritan, that outcast, that
stranger whose life was basically a living death.
Ten were healed, but he returned. This is an
act. This is an act of gratitude. This is thanksgiving
in action. St. Paul also writes, he says in Romans,
for since the creation of the world, his invisible
attributes are clearly seen. We look at the nature,
we look at each other, we look in our own heart.
How can you not see the work of God and glorify
him? being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse, because although
they knew God, they did not glorify him as God,
nor were thankful, but they became futile in
their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened. This is what happens when we do not
act with thanksgiving. I take pleasure each and
every year in reminding myself and you about
either President George Washington's Thanksgiving
Day Proclamation of 1789 or Abraham Lincoln's,
which he gave during the Civil War. Washington
says this, that today is the day in which we
acknowledge the providence of Almighty God. to
obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits,
to humbly implore his protection and favor, to
offer public, public thanksgiving and public
prayer with grateful hearts for the many signal
favors of Almighty God, who is the beneficent
author of all the good that was, that is, or
that will be. Isn't it interesting that Thanksgiving
is the beginning of the Christmas season, but
the founders of the feast of Thanksgiving certainly
would not have celebrated Christmas. The Puritans
did not celebrate. That was a popish thing and
not something they were going to do. So it's
rather ironic that this day in which we begin
to give thanks, especially for the birth of our
Savior in this world, was started by those that
would not recognize the glory of the Feast of
Nativity. Brothers and sisters, let us lift up
our hearts and say to the Lord, I thank thee,
O Lord, for this parish, for the name of your
love is proclaimed. I thank you, O Lord, for
our families, husbands, wives. and especially
children, who teach us how to celebrate your
holy name in joy, movement, and holy noise. Thank
you, O Lord, for everyone and everything. Great
art thou, O Lord, and marvelous are thy works,
and there is no word which sufficeth to him that
wonders. Lord, it is good to be here. To our
Lord be glory, now and ever, to ages of ages.