HAPPY THANKSGIVING

THANKSGIVING SUNDAY 

Good evening/morning everyone, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass 

The first reading says that God created Adam from the dust of the ground and that is why we call Adam the first dirtbag. 

Once an older man from Toronto called his son in Calgary and said, “Son, I am so sorry to ruin your day, but I have to tell you the truth. Your mom and I are getting divorce and my forty-five years of our life is over. The son wasn’t happy and said, “Dad, what are you talking about, don’t do anything stupid until I get back to you. Then the son called his sister in Halifax and the she called her dad and said, “Please dad, don’t do anything until we come home. We will talk to you both. Please don’t move out. Then the old man hangs up the phone and looks at his wife and says, “Honey, our children are coming home for thanksgiving and now what we tell them for Christmas?” 

Once an older woman was driving a little fast and when she saw a female police officer following her, she was speeding and as she was pulled over, the officer looked at her and said, “You know what, I am in a good mood and I won’t give you a ticket if you give me a good reason, a reason that never heard. So, the older woman looks at the female officer and says, “you know what many years ago, my husband ran away with a police officer and I thought you are bringing him back”.  

As we are going to celebrate ‘Thanksgiving’, let us thank God Almighty for everything. Let us thank Him for our family members, relatives, friends, parishioners and others. As we thank Him for everything in our lives, we will always be given more joy, happiness and satisfaction.  

We hear from today’s Scriptures that God created Adam the first man from the dust of the ground. God made all animals and every living creature from the dust of the ground and the only difference between man and all other animals is that God, out of His graciousness and love, out of his compassion and kindness, breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. Yes, God gave man the spirit and soul that left Him that deep longing to find the Creator. So, it’s our duty to thank God for creating man and woman and giving us the breath of life and to thank Him for leaving that deep longing in us to search Him day and night.  

The beautiful thing is that God created man on the sixth day and on the seventh day, God rested. For God, it was seventh day but for man, it was a first day. And that is why, on the very first day, before doing anything and before going anywhere, we are called to begin the day with God. Sunday the first day of the week is called holy day.  

After creating Adam and Eve, God gave the first commandment saying, “Be fruitful and multiply” and for this reason, man leaves his father and mother and be join to his wife. Thus, the two shall become one flesh. They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefor what God has joined together, let no one separate. Yes, no law should separate them like civil laws, church laws, in laws and out laws and no law should separate them.  

As a man and woman come before the Lord and say to each other that they will be for each other in good times and bad and sickness and health, they promise to live for each other. Today the sad thing is, as we see many men and women together, we question saying, “are they living together or dying together. God created people to live and prosper.  

Today we face with so many challenges and especially when it comes with marriage, relationship and communication. People struggle a lot to connect with their own husbands and wives and that is why we say, even before finding your ‘soulmate’, find your soul.  

It’s not only putting Christ at the center of married life but keeping Him forever.  

Christ the only Son of God will never say ‘No’ to us. As we go to Him with who we are, He fulfills all our needs. So, as we are going to celebrate ‘Thanksgiving’, let us develop the attitude of gratitude and thank God for creating us in His own image and likeness and let us thank Him for our family and friends and let us thank Him for this beautiful country of Canada. God bless.