This weekend is the last Sunday in the Church’s liturgical year, Christ the King. Christ the King is a relatively a young liturgical feast. It was born in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. The Holy father at that time is responding to what he sees as an increasing world secularization and a nationalism that was at risk of putting governments and self mastery before God or sadly to even eliminate the need for God. There was an influx of selfhelp gurus, self made prophets, and scientists that were attempting to sway the world from any sense of spiritual belief in something beyond what we can physically see. To many, this life was all that we had and make the best of it. The philosophy ‘carpe diem’ which is Latin for seize the day was a motto for many during this era. The thought was get what you can, anyway you can, as you go around once. I believe it was Schlitz beer that used a similar slogan which said, “Go for the gusto. . .” On Thursday, November 28th we celebrate as a nation, Thanksgiving Day. It was in 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It was finally declared in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War by president Abraham Lincoln, a “national” holiday to be held on the fourth Thursday in November. This Thanksgiving, let us as individuals, families, communities, and as a nation, focus on being thankful for the many blessings we already have. Sometimes when we focus merely on what we don’t have, then we will probably never be thankful at all. The word ‘Eucharist’ in Greek (εὐχαριστία) means “thanksgiving.” What better way to begin your family celebration this Thanksgiving Day than by celebrating The Eucharist with your parish family. We will celebrate a Thanksgiving Day Mass on Thanksgiving Day November 28th at 9:00 am. Please come with thankful hearts for all that God has done in your life.. Fr. Roach
