Life is a gift and is full of goodness, and we see that in so many ways.
Like Presidents Washington and Lincoln wrote in their 1789 and 1863 Thanksgiving Day proclamations, respectively, we can look all around to see robust industry and an abundance of goods, especially from our fields.
Even with the troubles we face, we can still find ways to be grateful. Case in point, President Lincoln established this day as an annual national holiday during a terrible war that emphasized the intense divides in our country, which we experience in different ways in our own day.
Yet we can still be grateful for what is good about this country and what is working, like the ways that people, even in government, are finding points of agreement and working to serve others. Furthermore, our country was founded on principles of freedom and liberty which led to a structure that allows us to participate by casting our votes and then engaging in other ways beyond the election. Our founding principles are truly a gift that make it possible for us to flourish.
It's great that in a month with elections in the first week, we have this holiday toward the end of the month to remind us of what's at our core.
Another important, national-scale event took place earlier this year, the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) in mid-July. In light of the NEC and the four Eucharistic pilgrimages that led to it, which brought thousands together, I'm reminded of how Thanksgiving is so much a part of Catholic practice because the Eucharist, the heart of the Mass, is from the Greek word for Thanksgiving.
Seeing thousands of people come together for the National Eucharistic Congress was so uplifting as we came acknowledging the presence of God among us, and the goodness He imparts to us.
In light of the Eucharist, we see that life is a wondrous gift from God, Who is the source of all goodness. His character manifests timeless realities of Love, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. He has created us with great value, and fills us so that we can be a gift to one another.
We can summon goodness and share it with those around us, since our human experience is enriched when we join together in communal experiences. Thanksgiving Day is a great example of how a meal is great, and it's even better when shared with others.
Indeed, it's a gift that God gave us life, has filled us with His presence and goodness, put us in communal structures, and gives us the opportunity to achieve our fullest potential by being gift to one another.
I spoke with my students in RE class recently about Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, which answers the question, "What does it mean to be human?"
Life is a gift, and as we are aware of all goodness around us, we live out Who God created us to be, living for His praise because of the many ways we are aware of His goodness. Indeed, our worth in God's eyes gives us a deep purpose for life.
One great example of someone who lived with purpose was Michelle Duppong. In both her ministry as a FOCUS missionary and then working for the Diocese of Bismarck, she put faith into action by shining God's radiance toward others and leading them to encounters with Him. Her faith helped her keep up her morale even in the midst of cancer treatments. Now, her cause for canonization is underway, and she continues to be a beacon of hope. Her parents were at the NEC, promoting her cause for canonization, and I met them.
Yes, we have been created as a gift, and we have the great purpose of being a gift of blessing to others. Thanksgiving Day is special for me as a holiday that reminds me of what's great about the United States, and its spiritual overtones lifts me up to rejoice in God, the source of all goodness. We realize that we're not just lucky, we're blessed.
On this day that marks 32 years since my family moved to Oak Park, which remains my hometown, I give thanks for my place in this community, in this country, and in the Church, by which we praise our God and live our mission.
God bless the USA!
And here's an inspirational performance of "America, the Beautiful" by Claire and Dave Crosby, to bring it all together on this special day.
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