Homily for Thanksgiving Day

Homily for Thanksgiving Day

Nov. 27, 2025
1 Kings 8: 55-61
Col 3: 12-17
Mark 5: 18-20
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Solomon Plans God's Temple (Providence Lithograph Co.)

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to his people” (1 Kgs 8: 56).

On this day of Thanksgiving we have several responsibilities.  The 1st, as Solomon tells us, is to bless God, for he has been so gracious and generous to us—on a national level to our nation, on a spiritual level thru the redemption of our Lord Jesus.  “I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth (Ps 138:2).

The 2d responsibility is to express our gratitude in action, as Paul urges: “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Col 3:12).  We try to act toward our brothers as Jesus has acted toward us.  Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery; we intend more than that.  We intend to walk with our Savior, the source of our blessings, our true “founding father” who obtains for us the freedom of God’s children.

Jesus heals the Geresene demoniac (Sebastian Bourd
on)

Our 3d responsibility is cued by Jesus in the gospel, when he commissions the demoniac he’s healed to become an evangelizer:  “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord has done for you” (Mark 5:19).  Beyond thanking God, beyond imitating Jesus, we need to tell the world about the one God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, for this is eternal life (John 17:3)—a wonderful gift that we’ve received and gratefully share.

Thanks be to God!