Thanksgiving Day is recognized as a Major Feast in our Church calendar. That means Thanksgiving Day ranks right up there with feasts of the Apostles and Evangelists, Saint Stephen, The Holy Innocents; Saint Mary Magdalene; and even Saint Mary the Virgin!
Thanksgiving Day is an important day in the life of the Church.
But not because of pilgrims or turkey dinners. Thanksgiving Day is a Major Feast because thanksgiving–giving thanks, is at the very core of Christian life. We are a people who give thanks. Our principal form of worship on a Sunday is the Holy Eucharist, a Greek word that means thanksgiving. We give thanks in response to the countless blessings of life that God has freely bestowed upon us.
The gifts of life, however, are not always so joyful to receive. We recognize that in life there is loss, sorrow, and grief. Some will gather at the Thanksgiving table this year and feel the absence of a loved one. Some may even wonder if they have any reason to be thankful. Surrounded by messages of joyful celebrations, happy gatherings, and Hallmark perfect feasts, we do well to remember that thanksgiving isn’t only a joyful feeling–as in “we feel thankful,” sometimes thanksgiving is an act of will–an offering that requires sacrifice, vulnerability, and intentionality.
However the Thanksgiving Feast finds you, may you know that the blessings of God’s love, presence, and grace are with you. Let us keep the feast.
