I must admit that sometimes the Thanksgiving holiday confuses me. Is it supposed to be a religious holiday, or a secular one? While the obvious conclusion would be secular, maybe we should pause before jumping to the obvious. Let’s pause and take a look at what makes it a secular holiday. It was never something instituted or celebrated by the early Fathers of the Church, so that’s a strike against it. It marks no significant event in the life of Christ or the history of his Church. Strike two. It marks the beginning (at least in my book) of the secularized, materialistic Christmas season. Strike three, and Thanksgiving is secularized and OUT! Or is it? Regardless of what we may think about the Thanksgiving holiday, the act of giving thanks is not something that the secular world at large has a monopoly on. In fact while all the Atheists in our country gather around their turkeys and give thanks for their family, their health, and their job, we as Catholics have something much, much higher to be thankful for. The blood of the Lamb. Rather than just being thankful for the material things that get us by in everyday life, we should be looking to what gives us eternal life. We get to go to Mass every Sunday (and weekdays if you want) and receive the body and blood of God himself. It may just be me, but that really seems to put a dead bird to shame, no matter how much cranberry sauce you have to go with it. There are also all the little things to be thankful for. For example I am particularly thankful that my wife and baby are both ok after a car accident last week. I am not, however, just randomly thankful. I am thankful to God who protected them. Our car was totaled, but all my wife got out of the deal was a stiff leg and a couple of bruises. I feel sorry for those who believe that such things are just luck. So while Thanksgiving may not be a specifically religious holiday, I encourage you to think not only about what you are thankful for, but who you are thankful to. You don’t just say “thank you” to yourself, that would be ridiculous. You have to give your gratitude to someone or something else. Who can deserve our thanks more than God? No one. So I think a great way to celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday would be to make sure to attend Mass. Not just Mass on Sunday, but Mass on Thanksgiving day. What better way to say thank you to God. I can guarantee it will be the best meal you can receive.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for? (11-18-2007)
I must admit that sometimes the Thanksgiving holiday confuses me. Is it supposed to be a religious holiday, or a secular one? While the obvious conclusion would be secular, maybe we should pause before jumping to the obvious. Let’s pause and take a look at what makes it a secular holiday. It was never something instituted or celebrated by the early Fathers of the Church, so that’s a strike against it. It marks no significant event in the life of Christ or the history of his Church. Strike two. It marks the beginning (at least in my book) of the secularized, materialistic Christmas season. Strike three, and Thanksgiving is secularized and OUT! Or is it? Regardless of what we may think about the Thanksgiving holiday, the act of giving thanks is not something that the secular world at large has a monopoly on. In fact while all the Atheists in our country gather around their turkeys and give thanks for their family, their health, and their job, we as Catholics have something much, much higher to be thankful for. The blood of the Lamb. Rather than just being thankful for the material things that get us by in everyday life, we should be looking to what gives us eternal life. We get to go to Mass every Sunday (and weekdays if you want) and receive the body and blood of God himself. It may just be me, but that really seems to put a dead bird to shame, no matter how much cranberry sauce you have to go with it. There are also all the little things to be thankful for. For example I am particularly thankful that my wife and baby are both ok after a car accident last week. I am not, however, just randomly thankful. I am thankful to God who protected them. Our car was totaled, but all my wife got out of the deal was a stiff leg and a couple of bruises. I feel sorry for those who believe that such things are just luck. So while Thanksgiving may not be a specifically religious holiday, I encourage you to think not only about what you are thankful for, but who you are thankful to. You don’t just say “thank you” to yourself, that would be ridiculous. You have to give your gratitude to someone or something else. Who can deserve our thanks more than God? No one. So I think a great way to celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday would be to make sure to attend Mass. Not just Mass on Sunday, but Mass on Thanksgiving day. What better way to say thank you to God. I can guarantee it will be the best meal you can receive.
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