Happy Thanksgiving 2017

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever!” (Psalm 136)

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Greek word, Eucharist, means ‘thanksgiving’. Every day, as I approach the Holy Altar to offer the Divine Liturgy, I thank Almighty God for His love and mercy. I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for inviting me to receive Him, the Bread of Life, in the Holy Eucharist. This is surely my greatest joy each day. I also thank Him for all the blessings in my life. You, my brother Priests and the faithful of the Catholic Communities of Grays Harbor and Forks, my extended family, are among my biggest blessings.

How do we give thanks to God? When we look in Scripture, there are three main ways described:

The first way to give thanks is to say it (or sing it) to God. May each one of us take a still moment this Thanksgiving, reflect on God’s goodness, and tell God how thankful we are for each one of the blessings we can think of.

A second way to give thanks is to share it with others. Many times in Scripture it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” (1 Chronicles 16:8). May we have the love, courage, and gratitude to talk about God’s goodness with our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

The third way to give thanks to God is by blessing others in need. Have you ever tried to give a gift to someone who already has everything? Isn’t giving a thanksgiving gift to God the same? Yes and no. Yes, God doesn’t need anything we can give him, but his children do. “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).

We have so much to be grateful for. We live in the richest country in the world. We have so much. We have much more than we could ever need. What we will eat on Thanksgiving Day could feed a family for a month in a poor country. Let us see Jesus in each other and especially in those who are in need. Let us love one another as we would love the Lord Jesus Himself. Let us serve one another as we would serve the Lord Jesus Himself.

I try not to limit my joy and gratitude to the Divine Liturgy. Rather, I strive to carry the grace of the Divine Liturgy in my heart and in my actions throughout the entire day. I want to be Jesus to all that I meet. Beautiful people, may you all be Jesus to all that you meet. We may very well be the only Gospel a person will ever read.

Please know that your presence, prayers, and support of our community are a great blessing to me. Thank you for your commitment to selfless stewardship and discipleship. I am most grateful to you for the manner in which you share your love… for God… for the Eucharist… for the Church… and for your parish……Each week I stand before you and ask for your prayers for myself and the other Priests that serve our parish. Your prayers for us are greatly appreciated as we strive to serve you. Know that we are praying for you, your loved ones, and your intentions.