Christ the King and Happy Thanksgiving

My Dear Parishioners,

As we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we are also preparing for Thanksgiving Day. I am certain there is still much to do as we either get ready to host, or we prepare ourselves to travel to someone else’s home for Thanksgiving.

I myself will be hosting my family in our rectory on Thanksgiving Day. This is something that I have been doing annually, and I am looking forward to my first Thanksgiving with you, and my first Thanksgiving with my family in my new home of St. Joseph.

It is good that this Feast of Christ the King coincides with Thanksgiving Day, because we have a King who gave thanks for us: that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him” (Matthew 11: 25-27).

Then at the Last Supper, He gave additional thanks for the gift to able to share Himself with us through the Most Holy Eucharist: “For, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you [that] from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”(Luke 22: 16-20).

Jesus Our King is so good and so loving! As we count our blessings this Thanksgiving Day and give thanks for our family and friends and reminisce about Thanksgivings past and family and friends who are no longer with us, let us continue to give praise and thanksgiving for Jesus’s thanksgiving for us!

Our Thanksgiving Day Mass is at 9:00.

I have included President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. I have loved this Proclamation, because it is a reminder from a civil authority that we owe all good things to God.

On behalf of our faithful staff, I do wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

St. Joseph, Patron of the Church, and our Patron, pray for us!

Fr. Michael J Pawelko, Pastor

George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

Smithsonian Institution Transcript of President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation from October 3, 1789. By the President of the United States of America—

A Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their Joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed— for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us—and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Geo. Washington