Thanksgiving Day
(Sirach 50:22-24; I Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19)
A mother was saying how her daughter was celebrating
Thanksgiving in Japan. Away from home
for the first time, the daughter had received recipes and other ideas for a
Thanksgiving feast. Most Americans
abroad try to come together for the holiday.
It seems that they are drawn by something more than the custom of eating
turkey with cranberries and sweet potatoes.
They appear to instinctively feel the need to give thanks.
Humans are built to depend on one another. We will be able to get along without a
particular person, but we always need others to grow, even to survive. Someone has to provide food for a child. Everyone needs teachers and doctors. There cannot
be industry without workers. Although people
are paid for their services, we still are grateful to them for work done
well. We also give thanks for the source
of all the benefits we enjoy. We recognize
that the same Creator of the earth also moves human hearts to assist others.
Today’s first reading expresses the spirit of
Thanksgiving Day. It calls on everyone
to give thanks to God, the source of all goodness. It further recognizes that our dependence
upon God never ceases. We must pray to
God not only for the basic needs of life but also for the peace that makes life
worth living.
