Thanksgiving 2023

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.