Homily for Thanksgiving Day
Nov. 25, 2021
1 Cor 1: 3-9
Ps 138: 1-5
Christian Brothers,
St. Joseph Residence, New Rochelle, N.Y.
“I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace bestowed on you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1: 4).
Paul begins his thanksgiving to God with gratitude
for the gifts of grace given to his friends in Corinth. He’s grateful for others. We could say that what God has given to his
friends is also a gift to Paul himself.
In our turn, we may be grateful to God for
the brothers he’s given to us. Isn’t it
a privilege to live in a religious community?
Certainly I’ve been graced to live in the company of saints. Not every man with whom I’ve lived in
community, to be sure, but many. I
suppose it must be the same with you.
Thanks be to God for his saints!
Thru such brothers, thru our families, thru
our students, and thru friends we’ve been “enriched in every way” (1:5), with
spiritual gifts coming to us from God (1:7).
Because of the gifts of our brothers and of so many other people, we
thank God for his “faithfulness and love” (Ps 138:2). We thank him “in the presence of the angels”
(138:1) and of the entire heavenly court.
We come into the Lord’s temple (138:2), this holy place, which
represents the house of God above.
Our brothers, our families and friends, and
our vocation to worship God personally and in community are signs of God’s
“kindness and truth” (138:2). It’s
kindness of the Lord to welcome us into his house, into his family, and to give
us the firm hope of a place at the heavenly banquet. It’s truth that God answers those who call
upon him, whether our call is a voice of praise or a call for God’s strength to
bolster us (138:2). We’re grateful to
the Lord for “hearing the words of our mouth” (138:1).
With the strength the Lord gives us, we trust
that he’ll keep us all “firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:8), when our “fellowship with his Son” (1:9) will be
ratified and made permanent. Thanks be
to God!
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