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Thanksgiving Day

Writer's picture: Immersed in ChristImmersed in Christ

Thursday, November 23, 2023

by Fr. David M. Knight


View readings for Thursday, 33rd Week of Ordinary Time: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings

Lectionary no. 500 (1Mc 2: 15-29; Ps 50: 1-2, 5-6, 14-15; Lk 19: 41-44)

(Feast day reflection; daily reflection follows).


Church custom used to encourage people to spend about fifteen minutes after Mass in “thanksgiving” for Communion. This may have begun in the days when frequent Communion was frowned upon as too presumptuous for the miserable sinners preachers constantly declared us to be. Pope Saint Pius X gave the death blow to this error when he decreed on December 20, 1905: “Frequent and daily Communion, which is strongly desired by Christ and the Church, is open to all the faithful of Christ. No one who is in the state of grace and comes to the table of the Lord with a good attitude and devotion can be prohibited from receiving.”


Now all are expected to receive Communion at every Mass. And the renewed liturgy has built in a moment of “sacred silence” when, after all have received, we can just sit and absorb the experience of being one with Christ and with each other in the “communion of the Holy Spirit” that consciousness of Christ’s presence in us gives (General Instruction, nos. 43, 45).


1Kings 8:55-61: Solomon has finished the temple God promised he would build (verse 19). Now, as he dedicates the temple, he praises God for his “steadfast love” (v. 23):


Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke through his servant Moses.


He uses this moment to encourage:


Therefore devote yourselves completely to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments


The Rite of Communion at Mass is a moment of “rest” God has given us to contemplate the “completed temple” of the Church in the “end time.” We use it to encourage ourselves to “faithful stewardship” in our time: continuing to “build up the Church in love.” We give thanks to get hope—and give it.


Ephesians 1:3-14: Paul gives thanks for what we have already received:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.


He looks forward to the fulfillment of God’s “plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.” What is encourages us to work for what will be. That is why we contemplate the “end time” during the Rite of Communion. It is another reason why we celebrate Thanksgiving Day.


Mark 5:18-20: When the man who had been possessed by demons begged to stay with him, Jesus refused, and said:


Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.


Thanksgiving should inspire giving. Being conscious during the “sacred silence” after Communion of all God has done for us moves us to go out and do likewise for others.


Action: Give thanks for what is. Give yourself to build what can be.

Authority vs Leadership


In 1Maccabees 2:15-29 we see the difference between authorities and leaders. Both are necessary. Either can be good or bad. But they have two different functions. The first function of authorities is to hold the community together. They may or may not exercise leadership. The function of leaders is to move the community forward, or move it to respond to current challenges. They may or may not have any authority.


In today’s reading the authorities were bad. The “officers of the king” were trying to unite the country by imposing on everyone the religion of the conquering culture, and stamping out all others. That is a common feature of colonialism. The English persecuted Catholics and other “dissenters” at home, and tried to stamp out the Church and native language in Ireland. They were not exceptional. Many empires have sought unity by forbidding diversity. Even the Church recognizes she has been less “catholic” at times by imposing “Roman” customs and language that stifled native cultural expression and suppressed the self-identity of local churches.


Luke 19:41-44: Jesus could have used some lay leadership among his people. The “people” generally approved of him. They “regarded him as a prophet” and were “spellbound by his teaching.” But they did not stand up against the authority of the “chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees.” It made Jesus weep over Jerusalem: “Days will come upon you when your enemies... will wipe you out... because you failed to recognize the time of your visitation.” Those who did recognize it failed to stand up.


Luke says, “the chief priests, leaders, and the people... all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas!’” It seems clear that by “leaders” he means those with position and prestige that came from their identification with the establishment, like the scribes and Pharisees. The “people” let themselves be swayed by them. On the day of Jesus’ trial those who believed in him were all absent or intimidated. When Jesus was crucified the “people stood by, watching.” When authority succeeds in squelching leadership from the ordinary people, destruction follows (see Matthew 21:46; 27:20; Mark 11:18; Luke 19:47; 22:2; 23:13, 18, 35).


We who are consecrated “stewards of the kingship of Christ,” are committed by Baptism to take action where action is possible and called for. Failure to lead when one knows the way to go is a failure in stewardship. God says in the Responsorial (Psalm 50), “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.” But only if they are willing to speak up and act on what they see.


The king’s officers targeted Mattathias
because they recognized him as “a
leader... and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kinsmen.” They
needed him on their side. They were
ready to bribe or kill him. He chose
resistance and “fled to the mountains
with his sons, leaving behind all their
possessions.” Leaders pay the price.


Action: Be a leader. Stand up and speak out until you are shot down.


Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry




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