On October 3, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation asking Americans to celebrate the good bounties given to them by God during the past year. Despite being in the midst of a bloody civil war, which posed the greatest existential threat to the nation until modern times and opened the country up to foreign invasions, the President urged Americans “to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” and also to "with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience" care for those made widows and orphans by the civil war, and finally to "fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation."
Akin to this message by the 16th President is the message of the Holy Scriptures, Sacred Traditions, and Teaching Authority of the Body of Christ. In the good times, we are to give thanks to God, to say with St. Zechariah “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people,” and celebrate the good things we have by merrimaking. In the bad times, we are still to thank God for his great glory, saying with St. Job “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord,” but instead to do penance and beg for forgiveness. In times of strife and war, we are to pray for God's healing and mercy, as the Collect for the Votive Mass in Times of War reads: "O God, who does stamp out wars and vanquish the assailants of them that hope in Thee, help us when we cry to Thee, that the ferocity of our enemies may be brought low, and we may praise Thee with unceasing thanksgiving."
The highest forms of Thanksgiving is to be found in the public worship, or Liturgy, of the Church. Within the Mass is present the very Mystery of our redemption: the Sacrifice of Christ at Calvary, made present to us under the forms of bread and wine. In this Mystery is the fullness of Christian thanksgiving. We give thanks to God for the highest of His benefits, the Death of the God-Man which brings us unto life eternal. At the same time, Christ offers a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving before God, fulfilling the words of the Psalmist, “I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord before all his people: precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” This is the Eucharist, our ultimate Thanksgiving. God came to earth, became Flesh for our Salvation, redeemed us from our sins by His sufferings, and Rose triumphantly from the grave to offer us His grace, that we may live through Him, with Him, and in Him.
May Almighty God bless you this Thanksgiving Day.
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