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Our National Holidays celebrate survival: Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. But Thanksgiving celebrates a successful harvest for which our founding fathers thanked God.
The pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620; 387 years ago. In 1621 the colonial Governor, William Bradford proclaimed “all Pilgrims with our wives and little ones, do gather at the meeting house, on the hill… There to listen to the pastor and render thanksgiving to the Almighty God for His blessings.”
During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress approved a national day of Thanksgiving for December 18, 1777. It was Thomas Jefferson who did not continue the practice and then president Madison brought it back because he thought a prayer proclamation was constitutional so long as it only recommended observance and did not favor any one religious denomination over another.
During the Civil War, it was Sarah Hale, a magazine editor, who campaigned for President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim a national holiday. Shortly after the battle of Gettysburg, Mr. Lincoln established Thanksgiving in a language that stands in stark contrast to current public and political utterances. One wonders if the day will come when such language will be outlawed in the halls of our legislature. Mr. Lincoln said: “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these things.
They are the precious gifts of the most high God, who, while dealing with us in anger for sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that God’s blessings should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”
Much has changed in our culture since those days. As Catholic Christians we cannot be blind to materialism, utilitarianism, and relativism that tries to consume us to the point where if Lincoln were alive today he could not talk like that. I want to quote a famous theologian, George Carlin who wrote these thoughts after the death of his wife.
“We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We have cleaned up the air but polluted the soul. We plan more but accomplish less. We have big men and small character; steep profits and shallow relationships. These are days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses but broken homes. We have disposable diapers but throwaway morality.”
In the face of this culture we are called to be a people of faith. In the Sirach reading we acknowledge God, His wondrous deeds, how He fosters growth (not us), and how He is the source of true peace and everlasting joy. In the 138th Psalm the theme is echoed to recognize God’s faithfulness and love. Indeed, we are to be like the person with leprosy who returns to give thanks to Jesus.
With this kind of faith we take into account that we will not be remembered for what we earned, but by what we gave; that our life will not be measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. After all, God always gives what right, not what is left.
Despite this world of fragile peace and broken promises we will be a people of faith. Some see a storm but our eyes of faith see Noah’s rainbow.
Some see a giant enemy but our eyes of faith see David’s sling shot. Some see only their faults but our eyes of faith see their Savior. Some see only their guilt but our eyes of faith see His precious blood that makes us pure again. Some see their potential death but our eyes of faith see a home prepared by Jesus; a new heavenly Jerusalem, a city whose builder and maker is God.
Today, if we are a traveler or a pilgrim, with family or alone, with friends or enemies, will we see how much we have for which to be grateful? Will we see with eyes of faith?
A Thanksgiving Day Prayer
Eternal Father, we thank You for food and remember the hungry.
We thank You for health and remember the sick.
We thank You for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank You for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service that Your gifts to us may be used for others. Amen