American Thanksgiving

Another beautiful and deeply religious emotion is magnified in our hearts this month by Thanksgiving Day. How much more it will mean this year than it has for a long time. “Yes, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.”

Some of us have suffered grievously in recent years. Sorrow has filled the hearts of many. To these, all good Christian people extend their loving sympathy. “If any one suffers, every one suffers with him.”

But are there not bright rays of light which will shine through even the darkest clouds? Yes, and there is no more penetrating beam than that of the thankful heart.

Here and there we see people who appear to have everything, and yet they are miserable. We say they have so much to be thankful for. Well, it works in the same way with you and me, even though we think we do not “have everything.” If we possess Christ we do have everything.

St. Paul could say, “I thank my God for every remembrance of you.” In the spirit and with the power of Christ we likewise shall cultivate in our hearts many remembrances for which we can thank God.

There is so much for which to be thankful that we shall find our lives simply transformed if we will only open our eyes to the goodness of God, and inwardly recollect some of His many blessings.

God grant that on this Thanksgiving Day more people than ever will remember to go to God’s House to offer up their prayers and praises. May we as a people and as individuals remember that our first duty is to God. Our happiness, our security, our highest welfare are wrapped up in the spiritual meaning for us, of this, our national day of gratitude.