The World According to Oatney

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Today is Thanksgiving Day.

In our rush to secularize the holiday, children are often told that today is "turkey day," as if their parents do not have the freedom to roast or fry a turkey on some other day of the year. The intent of this uniquely American holiday is for people to give thanks to God for their blessings over the past year. It is America's great national harvest festival.

Despite its Puritan roots, Thanksgiving is appropriate for people of all religious faiths. Because of when it falls, it is particularly appropriate for those of us who profess the Holy Catholic faith, since it is always on the fourth Thursday in November. On the Liturgical Calendar that means that Thanksgiving falls on the Thursday after the Feast of Christ the King, on the third day from the end of the Church year. A new Church year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, almost always the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That means that for Catholics, it is a celebration of the year just past, and the new year about to begin. It is the perfect time to stop and reflect on the blessings of the previous year, and to spend the day eating a meal with the family or friends we love. It is also a way God can again show us his ultimate love by giving us one more gift: The gift of living in a country where we have a day set aside to remind us of His blessings year after year.

Pray for those who must work out of necessity today, and for those who will spend today without a friend. Pray especially for those who have no one to pray for them.

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 2:30 PM