One of the great contradictions in the Catholic Church today is that oftentimes regular holy days do not have too many people showing up for the daily mass schedule. Yet, at Thanksgiving in most Churches it is certainly not a holy day, but there is an outpouring of people who attend Mass with a great sense of gratitude. In their own way they make Thanksgiving a holy day and it should be for all of us.
Every one of us who has the gift of
sight or the gift of hearing or the gift of good health has a lot
to be thankful for. Most of us have never gone hungry and we know
that the people in Bosnia cannot say the same thing. Most of us
have never lived under oppression as the people have lived when
Russia was such a controlling force. Our country gives us the
freedom to worship, assemble and the opportunity to care for
millions.
We are thankful we have so many wonderful people who do have a sense of compassion and charity to those who are in want and need. It is easy to criticize those who do not do anything for any body, but in our country with all its faults and failures we do help the distant corners of the world. We do help people we never see and we do it in our own way to be a good samaritan to many.
Thanksgiving should remind us not only what the pilgrim fathers brought to us, but of what so many bring to others in their own unsung way. Thanks be to God there are many people who try to bring the Gospel of Christ to others. For these and so many other blessings we should all be very grateful.
- " How far you go in life depends
On your being tender with the young,
Compassionate with the aged,
Sympathetic with the striving and
Tolerant of both the weak and strong
Because someday in life
You will have been one or all of these."
--George Washington Carver