Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving... 

Good evening/morning every one. I am happy to welcome you all to celebrate thanksgiving Mass today. 

One day an elderly man in Toronto called his son in Calgary and said, "Son, I am so sorry to ruin your day. But, I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting divorce. My forty-five years of misery is over now. The son was not happy and said, "Dad, what are you talking about?" "Please don't do anything stupid". Then he called his sister in Halifax and the daughter then called the dad and said, "Dad, don't do anything until we come home. Let us talk and we will talk to mom". "Please do not move out". Then the old man hung up the phone and looked at his wife and said, "Honey, our children are coming home for thanksgiving. Now what do we tell them for Christmas?" 

This day as we celebrate thanksgiving, we especially thank God for everything. We thank Him for our family members, relatives, friends and others. As we thank Him, we will be given more of joy, happiness and satisfaction.  

Today's gospel says that the kingdom of God will be taken away from people and given to others who produce the fruits of the kingdom". Yes, those who are thankful of what they have and produce more will receive even more. We receive more from our heavenly Father. It's because we show gratitude, respect and love. It's because we show our love by loving Him with all our heart, mind, body and soul. 

One day a woman looked out of her kitchen window and noticed her new neighbor hanging out her laundry to dry. Then as she noticed from her kitchen window the whites looked grey and the colored looked so dull. She said to her husband, "What a shame. The woman doesn't even know how to wash her cloths clean".  

This went on for a while and then one day, she noticed that the whites sparked in the sunlight and the colored clothes were radiant. The woman looked at her husband and said, "Finally our neighbor learned how to do her laundry clean". Then the husband looked at her and said, "It should because I washed our kitchen window yesterday". 

Sometimes we all ask ourselves thinking, "Why should I thank God?" Nothing is going well. Everywhere we turn, there are killing, war, famine, natural disaster. And even what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas". What a shooting went on in Vegas. All we hear is bad news and more bad news.  

But if we know how to keep our windows clean, then we will look at things differently and thank God for everything that is happening around us in the world. God is good and He will never abandon His children. The God who was kind enough to forgive and sent all His prophets, kings and Holy men and women. The God who so kind to send His Only Son Christ Jesus to us will give us life and keep us safe. St. Paul asks us to thank God without ceasing and thus find meaning in life.  

God handed over to us His vineyard and let us be faithful to Him and produce good fruits and thus one day, we have to return it to the master who is coming back. Yes, until then with gratitude and love protect it.  

Conclusion: 

Let us thank Him for giving us life and thank Him for giving us family, friends, relatives and others and let us thank Him for sending His Son Jesus and showering upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let us thank Him for giving us a chance to work in His field or vineyard. Amen.