Blessed Thanksgiving!
As we gather with loved ones this Thanksgiving, may the abundant blessings of our loving God fill your hearts with peace and joy. May we welcome the Holy Spirit to help us pause and give thanks for the many gifts and blessings—our life, our families, and our community.
The Apostle Paul reminds us: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:18). And in the Psalms, we pray: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever" (Ps 107:1). These sacred words invite us to deeply consider God's mercy in the great and the 'ordinary' moments of life.
As the great Saint Francis de Sales beautifully teaches, "Gratitude is the heart's memory." His words remind us to cherish and celebrate the ways God has provided, is providing, and will provide in the future.
We pray you all have a most blessed and happy Thanksgiving weekend. And may this new liturgical year find our hearts ready to deepen our gratitude and confidence in the Merciful Heart of Christ.
United in prayer,
Fr. John, the clergy,
and parish staff serving you
Psalm 136
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His love endures for ever.
Who alone has wrought marvelous works,
for His love endures for ever.
Whose wisdom it was made the skies,
for His love endures for ever.
Who fixed the earth firmly on the seas,
for His love endures for ever.
It was He who made the great lights,
for His love endures for ever.
the sun to rule the day,
for His love endures for ever.
the moon and stars in the night;
for His love endures for ever.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
(From the Psalm 136 as prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours)
“Remember the past with gratitude.
Live the present with enthusiasm.
Look forward to the future
with confidence.”
—Pope Saint John Paul II
