Thanksgiving Day

Low has sin brought me
That I might discern Your door
Sing, O my soul, sing!

Sir 50:22-24 / 1 Cor 1:3-9 / Lk 17:11-19

Thanksgiving Day

Let us be thankful today for all the moments of our lives, but most especially for those that we dearly wish to forget. The cringe-worthy ones which bring deep shame and solemn regret. The suffering ones that produce tears of hot anger and cold grief. The ones we fantasize about doing over, if we could go back in time. Life is a tapestry, and for better or worse, these experiences are part of the artwork that is you. How many threads could you pull out without unraveling everything you have come to be? We learn from failure and triumph alike. Even sin provides opportunities for hope and salvation.

Now, I am not saying that sin is good or that failure should be courted. But both are part of the human condition and they will inevitably arrive on your doorstep. Do not fear them. Do not fear the truths they will set before you. Shame can help keep you honest. Suffering can show you what matters and what does not. I have had plenty of experience with both and they have taught me wonderful things, though I cannot say that I look forward to future lessons. But I trust that when those lessons come, it will be because our Parent has something valuable to teach me. And I am thankful for such grace.

Sirach 50:22-24; Psalms 145:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19

Thanksgiving Day

It is hard to feel thankful today. Too many of our children have died a violent death lately. And the air is just too thick with anger and despair. So some of us march and rage against the darkness. While others of us bury our heads in the sands of denial and privilege. But neither reaction truly soothes our aching souls. For the truth none of us wants to face is our impotence to prevent such death. As long as we are human, we will hurt one another. Pride. Ignorance. Fear. Do the motives really matter? At the end of the day, over and over again, we will kill one another. Yes, we have a duty to struggle with all our might against injustice and evil. But we must also remember that Jesus never cured leprosy, only a mere handful of lepers. If it was not his job to fix the world, why do we think it is ours? No, our task, our calling, is to open our eyes to the glorious kingdom already in our midst. A kingdom that is not a what or a where, but a whom: our brothers and sisters, our family.

Yes, our Parent has truly "done wondrous things on earth!" And so we have much to be thankful for today. For the gifts of Michael Brown, Rhasson Hamilton, Tamir Rice, and Christopher Walker. And yes, for the gifts of Timothy Loehmann, Darren Wilson, and killers still unknown. They are not friends or foes, nor demons or monsters. They are our brothers, one and all. And we are called to love them, one and all. It is perhaps our greatest cross to bear, this call to recognize both victim and murderer as our siblings. And it is something else to be thankful for this day.

As for me personally, I am thankful for a special group of hundreds of my brothers and sisters here in Los Angeles County, whose unclaimed bodies will be buried in a mass grave early next month. I did not know any of them, but I mourn their loss and celebrate their lives. I am thankful for the residents of the International Space Station, who provide a glimpse of our family's grandeur. I am thankful for the wild green parrots of my hometown, whose chatter and aerial acrobatics bring laughter to my lips and joy to my heart. And I am most thankful for my best friend, my lover, my partner in this journey, the woman who eleven years ago tomorrow became my wife.

I could go on and on. I have much to be thankful for. We all have much to be thankful for. We belong to a family whose glory cannot be measured. So let us give thanks and praise our king's name, today and every day until we draw our last breath, for we are their mightiest work.

Sirach 50:22-24; Psalms 145:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19

Thanksgiving Day

Sirach 50:22-24

Behold, the beauty and glory of our Parent's Creation. Behold, love incarnate surrounds us. It is all there every day, if only we are willing to see it. Let today be the day that you finally look, and may your gaze never wander again. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day

Sirach 50: 22-24; 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9; Luke 17: 11-19

On this day, let us acknowledge that all we have comes from God. Whatever blessings we have obtained in life are gifts from our Father's bounty. We did nothing to deserve them, so we lose nothing by sharing them. Our true wealth and poverty lies not in material things, but in the strength of our faith in our Brother Jesus. This is a treasure that cannot be stolen, foreclosed upon, or repossessed. So on this day, let us give thanks to a God who loves us beyond measure, and who eagerly awaits our return home. Have a happy and joyous Thanksgiving!