Thanksgiving - Remembering The Forgotten Holiday

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed. 
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? 
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" 
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."


Happy Thanksgiving!  
Unfortunately, for some people, a quick greeting to friends and family is all of the thought that this holiday will receive as the talk goes to the football schedule, black Friday sales, and everything but thankfulness.  

We in the United States of America have a lot of things to be thankful for even though our government is taking a hiatus from being a government of the people, by the people. and for the people, as both parties man the barricades and block any legislation proposed by the other party.  We have things to be thankful for even though we have a president who thinks that a bunch of women and children looking for a better life pose a threat to the security of the United States.  We also have a president who has expressed admiration and is cultivating a relationship with two of the most ruthless and evil men our times have ever known and by that I mean Fatso Kim and this century's Stalin Vlad the Impaler Putin and who blames the people of Puerto Rico and the people of California for the disasters that they have suffered.  Yes, with all of the nonsense going on today, we still have things to be thankful for.

• This president, for all of his faults and foibles, seems to want to protect our religious freedom.  That is a good thing and we should be thankful for this because our rights as Christians were being eroded by the last administration.
• We can worship however we want to in this country and embrace the Faith of Our Fathers or we can worship no god at all, it is our choice.  Try that in Iran or Iraq. 
• There is abundance and plenty in this country and the vast majority of people have access to good food and clean water and those that don't, well, many of them get extra help during the holiday season.  Hint: Look for ways you can help...there are needy people in your neck of the woods who would be very grateful to you if you could donate something to the local food pantry.
• I can express my feeling about the state of politics in this country without fear that a swat team will not be executing a no-knock warrant for my opinions about the current president and Congress.  Try doing that in Iran and you may just go to jail or even get the death penalty.   No, here I am in more danger of friends not allowing me to express my own opinions rather than the rulers of the land and they are entitled to their opinion too. 
• I have a job, I get paid well for what I do, I like where I work.  
• Looking around my home, I see that I have more material goods than I could ever use and I have the potential for getting more.  

So you get the idea.  Today is a day we set aside for thanks. Many people consider it the day before Black Friday and will spend a lot of time going over the printed ads and going through websites online and let today slip away from them.  The very fact that they have money to spend on Black Friday will not occur to them to be something to be thankful for.  

On this day of thanks, make yourself a gratitude list.  Spend some time reconciling what you have with who gave it to you and who it belongs to.  If you think for a minute that all of your stuff is your stuff, well, you've got it wrong.  None of the things you own are yours.  All of what we have and who we are belong to God our Father.  You can use the things He blesses you with but you will not be able to carry them with you when you leave this world.  So, take time today to be thankful for you have.  Also, thank God for what He has NOT given you.  God knows what is best and what will help you make it to heaven and He gives according to our needs and not necessarily to satisfy our wants. 

So, Happy Thanksgiving.  May God continue to bless you as you go one day at a time through life.  May your eyes be filled with the wonder of His love for you and may you share that love with those around you.  

Don't forget to pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and a Glory Be for the poor souls in Purgatory>