Eucharistic Readings for Thanksgiving Day Year C
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 100; Philippians 4:4-9; John 6:25-35:
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
It is interesting that the two components of Christian transformation are, to come to Jesus, and then, believe in Jesus. Jesus uses the terms of hunger and thirst to explain this concept. This draws me back to my days at St Vincent de Paul Catholic School. The sisters insisted that we children first eat all of our food before we drink our milk. First, we satisfied the hunger, and then we quenched our thirst. I don’t know if they were making this particular connection, but now, as I write this, I can make this connection.
Just as eating a meal requires simple discipline to be deeply appreciated, so too does giving thanks. When we get into the Church habit, it becomes a liturgical habit. The Holy meal that we are going to participate in this afternoon is the one our Lord Jesus handed down to us on a Thursday over 2000 years ago.
We Americans then keep a Thursday tradition alive by giving thanks around a feast. I don’t know if those first pilgrims had in mind that Thursday was that day that we should do this in remembrance of our Lord’s celebration or not. I don’t know if they were making this particular connection, but now, as I write this, I can make this connection.
The way to make Thanksgiving more liturgical is the respect and reverence we give to it. Write a thank you note, make a phone call, send a thank-you gift (the stores would like that one). Put some holy work into giving thanks. This simple discipline will be deeply appreciated by you and those to whom thanks is given. This then is this Thursday’s Thanksgiving connection.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray. (BCP p. 246)
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
onewhoponders 