Dear Parishioners,
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, November 28th. I would like everyone to make an effort to come to Mass on Thanksgiving Day. Mass will be at 10:00 AM. While it is not a holy day, Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful opportunity as a parish family to come and thank God for all His tender mercies.
In addition, I would like to encourage people NOT to go shopping on Thanksgiving Day. I know a number of stores are now opening with sales, etc. I have two problems with stores opening on Thanksgiving Day.
First, the employees at these stores are now required to be away from their families. They either arrive late or leave early from the family dinner to get to work. We owe it to them to allow them to have a peaceful Thanksgiving.
Secondly, as a society, we need to have at least a day or two to simply be with our families. If you are 55 or older, you may recall that we had the “Blue Laws.” The “Blue Laws” restricted what businesses could be open on Sunday. As a result, Sunday really was a family day. I see a correlation between the weakening of family life and the removal of the “Blue Laws.” Keep Thanksgiving a family day; don’t let Thanksgiving Day become another “big sale” shopping day!
While President George Washington proclaimed the first national day of Thanksgiving, it took some time before Thanksgiving became a national holiday. In September 1863, Sarah Joseph, a newspaper editor, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln imploring him to set aside a national day of Thanksgiving. Up to that time, various states celebrated a day of Thanksgiving on various dates. Ms. Hale had made this request of other Presidents prior to Lincoln, but President Lincoln responded immediately.
President George Washington proclaimed:
It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the
providence of Almighty God, to obey His will and
to be grateful for all His benefits and humbly to
implore His protection and favor.
President Lincoln proclaimed:
I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens…
to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November
next as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent
Father who dwells in the heavens.
Remember:
Together, we can do something beautiful for God.
In Christ,
Fr. Brian