Thanksgiving 2005

Wednesday November 23, 2005

Thank God!

“Thank God… that didn’t happen to me!”
“Thank God… it was only a cold.”
“Thank God… we decided to stay home that night.”
“Thank God… it was only a joke.”
“Thank God.. it wasn’t raining.”
“Thank God… it’s snowing!”
“Thank God… it stopped snowing!”
“Thank God… I got the job!”

Were I to invite you to participate, this litany could go on for an entire day. Everyone has something great or small for which to be thankful. We wouldn’t be observing this ‘feast’ with relatives and friends were this not true.

But we are not in denial about the hardships and that we face from time to time. No one escapes the pain that change brings over time. It starts with the pains of childbirth and ends only with the pain of birth into eternity.

No, our attitude of gratitude is the outward sign of our faith and deep belief in the mysterious presence of God in our lives despite our failures and losses—our health challenges and disappointments. Though we may have succumbed to the temptation to ask why or assign blame to God for not getting our own way, the grace of this day gives us pause to see through the fog and the haze that settles over the valleys of life from time to time that the sun is never more than a few hours away.

We can easily fall victim to the hard times and in the process, become victims for the rest of our lives. Or we can rise above our hurts and failures and realize our potential for good.

“Happy people are thankful people and thankful people are healthy people.” It’s a mantra with meaning far beyond the words and has the power to heal.

The older we get, the larger our treasured memories. At a certain point, we realize that although there may be more to remember and less to anticipate, at least in terms of span of time, the quality of life is not dependent on the length of time we live or amount of time we spend with those we love. It has to do with the quality of time. I know, you’ve heard it a thousand times, “quality if better than quantity.” It’s a ‘truism,’ but it’s true!

I’m thankful for family and friends and for all who bring the best out of me. But at this stage of my life, I am grateful for those who have challenged me to recognize my shortcomings – not to put me down but to help me to realize that the pursuit of perfection is not what life is about. In the words of Mother Theresa, “God has not called us to be successful but to be faithful.” Being faithful surely includes the recognition of how much we are in need of God’s mercy and compassion.

I think one of the greatest challenges for a Christian today is making certain that there is a place at table for everyone in the human family. This is a worthy aspiration, out of synch with the surge in nationalistic thinking that has dominated international politics despite the increase in global free trade agreements designed to lower worker costs and guarantee higher profits for manufacturers – a political paradox, to be sure.

Ordinary people want to live peacefully with their neighbors regardless of race, color or creed.

CNN News reported a beautiful human interest on the eve of Thanksgiving adding credence to this aspiration. A white mother of three children volunteered to assist Katrina survivors transported to the Houston Dome. She developed a relationship with a black family that led to her finding an apartment for them near her own home. They will share Thanksgiving at one table as one family. This surely can’t be a unique story; there must be many more similar stories that demonstrate the true spirit of America in general and of this season in particular.

Assumption Parish in Morristown, Christ the King in New Vernon and St. Anne in Parsippany have adopted St. Thomas Parish in Long Beach, Mississippi as they begin the rebuilding of its church, parish center and school – a monumental challenge, to be sure. But this is not the first time that Assumption has ‘twinned’ with another faith community.

St. Joseph in Mendham has a rich covenant (inspired by Mary Clark) with the Father English Center in Paterson that involves not only money but hands-on collaboration with the children of the working poor served by the Father English Center vis-à-vis weekly volunteers and summer teen service trips during the summer. It is always a special day when Deacon Bob Vesota and members of the Father English Community Center arrive at St. Joseph for the annual celebration of the Covenant. Deacon Bill Long has been a daily volunteer for years and former youth minister, Mary Lyons, was the initiator of teen summer service trips.

We all need to be challenged to do more but we also need to be grateful for all that has been accomplished with the grace of God “and the work of human hands.”

Catholic parishes are most catholic when there is a place for everyone at the table – whatever their socio-economic status, single, married, divorced or separated; whatever their sexual preference, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. In the words of that wonderful contemporary hymn, “All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.”

Indeed, “happy people are thankful people and thankful people are healthy people!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

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