Thanksgiving: A Time To Give Back
A time to give back
Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.–Charles Dickens
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder”–Chesterton
My dearest American Friends,
Thanksgiving is here with us again! History has it that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 by Wampanoag Native Americans and Plymouth colonists. This first Thanksgiving celebration was a feast that lasted for three days. The exact menu of this feast was unknown, but the little we know about the content of the menu came down to us through pilgrims’ chroniclar Edward Winslow who wrote, “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl…“ The pilgrims held their second harvest in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that threatened the year’s harvest which almost prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast.
Although The Pilgrims did not use the term ” Thanksgiving” at the time of the first Thanksgiving, it was clearly a celebration of their first successful corn harvest. For more than two centuries the Thanksgiving was celebrated in colonies and in states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Day of Thanksgiving to be held each November. Abraham Lincoln, who is one of the most revered American Presidents, was a champion of liberty who advocated for the abolition of slavery, even though It necessitated a civil war. He inaugurated the Thanksgiving holiday as a National day on October 3, 1863, while expressing gratitude for a pivotal Union Army victory at Gettysburg.
President Abraham Lincoln announced that the nation would celebrate an official Thanksgiving holiday on November 26, 1863. Since then, Thanksgiving has become an indisputable national day of rest in the US. Yes, history has shown us that Thanksgiving originated as a feast for a successful harvest and a declaration of victory of war. The question is though, who made the harvest bountiful, and saved the Pilgrims from the drought that threatened their harvest ? Who granted the victory to the Union Army at Gettysburg?
While Thanksgiving is a national holiday and a secular celebration for many, we all need to go beyond eating the turkey and the social dimension of this celebration that has a strong religious backbone and to reflect on why, we too,in our time have to give thanks. This calls to mind, the etymology of the word Eucharist which is derived from the Greek “Eucharistein”, meaning to give thanks. This puts it into perspective for us and and helps us to more fully understand, from a spiritual standpoint, what Thanksgiving means. The Eucharist is a gift and a sacrifice offered by God the Son to the Father for the work of salvation of mankind. From Christ’s offering of Himself in thanksgiving for the gift of our salvation, we too enter into that mystery by offering our thanksgiving to the Trinity and ourselves as gifts to others in thanksgiving for all we have received from God. It was St. Thomas Aquinas who said, “man is an insufficient being along the line of his terrestrial existence, and as such he is a solicitor and beneficiary…and every expression of love deserves a corresponding reciprocation. Thanksgiving, therefore, is our reciprocation to God for all He has done for us including the work of our salvation. We give thanks despite this year being a very rough one. We do so because our brother Paul encourages us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to give thanks in all circumstances for such is God’s Will for us. Yeah, it is God’s Will that you do not complain of all that has gone bad for you in this and previous years, but to see beyond all those disappointments a reason to give glory, and thanks to God. As we gather together this day to eat and dine with our family and friends, let’s not forget to offer a few moments of prayer and praises to God, Who made the corn of the first Pilgrims to bear an abundant harvest, Who gave victory at Gettysburg and Who has given you life and victory over life’s challenges especially COVID-19 . If you think you don’t have any reason to thank God, thank Him at least that you are alive to read this message. Share with others. Let’s keep reverberating the spiritual tempo in a seemingly secular celebration.
I wish you and your family and friends a grace-filled Thanksgiving celebration.
