I am so glad that we have a national holiday to give thanks. It is true that many of our fellow citizens no longer appreciate to whom they are giving thanks; nonetheless, even for atheists and agnostics, the practice of thanksgiving takes us outside of ourselves and focuses us on the great good that is living, and living with each other in family and society.
Of course, as Christians, we know exactly to whom we are giving thanks, so this day is all the more meaningful for us. It is a time to take stock of everything God has done for us in the course of our lives all the way down to the little moments in each day. All worship begins with thanksgiving, so the more we can practice giving thanks to God throughout the days, months, and years, the more the Mass and our daily prayers are going to be ardent and meaningful.
I have something of a list of all of the things for which I am generally thankful to God and for which I try to give Him thanks daily:
- the gift of life
- my family, my upbringing, my education, and my friends
- the salvation won for me by Jesus, and the truth of that salvation communicated through the Church
- that God called me into the Church, even through the broken means of my parents’ divorce
- that God called me to the priesthood and that I am privileged to offer the sacraments and walk with people in faith
- that God has called me to Whatcom County, and the different experiences of faith I have been part of here.
This year specifically – and I know this sounds false or pandering, but I promise it is not – I am truly and authentically thankful for Partners in the Gospel. I know it has been hard in many ways (and I assure you it has been hard on me personally), but I am beginning to see some fruit and it is wonderful. I am thankful that our parishioners feel more and more comfortable worshipping wherever in the county they find themselves and that they feel part of a larger Catholic story. I am thankful for all the work that our PFAC did in preparation for those listening sessions, for the 550-ish people who participated, and for the resulting synthesis which will soon be published. I am thankful for a regional staff that has allowed us to tighten up many important practices and procedures and to set a solid foundation for growth in the coming years. And I am thankful for all of the staff and volunteers who have poured themselves anew into the project of preaching the Gospel in Whatcom County, now with an eye towards bringing the entire county together in faith.
I became Catholic in 1999, so I have spent most of my Catholic life watching the Church struggle, shrink, and be pilloried in public life. I have a persistent, deep sadness that the Church and the faith have fallen on such hard times in the United States. So when I finally get to be part of the solution – and Partners in the Gospel seeks to provide whatever solution may be possible – and when I see the fruits of that solution begin to blossom, I am deeply and truly thankful.
Blessings to you and your families, and thanks be to God for the many blessings He has shown us this last year!
Fr. Moore 