Thanksgiving Reflections

Thanksgiving Reflections

Submitted by Thomas Stidl

What am I thankful for Thanksgiving?

         I am thankful that God chose Abraham to be our father in Faith.

         I am thankful for the entire Hebrew Testament of the bible.  The knowledge that one can ascertain by reading and studying that testament is stupendous.

         I am thankful to the angel Gabriel for telling Mary of her upcoming motherhood of the Son of God.

         I am thankful for the birth of Jesus and all his teachings of how to love God, live with, and love our neighbor.

         I am thankful for the chosen apostles including Judas who betrayed him due to the necessary sin of Adam that brought Jesus to earth.

         I am thankful for His passion and death.  He paid the full price of our redemption and opened the gates of paradise for all to enter.

         I am thankful that John the apostle accepted Mary the Mother of God into his home while Her Son hung on the cross.

         I am thankful that Mary accepted the role of Mother of the whole human race and still works at that task today.  Future articles will prove that last statement.

         I am thankful that Jesus rose from the dead and continued to teach his apostles for forty days.

         I am thankful for his Ascension into heaven after he rebuked his apostles for their disbelief and hardness of heart.  As He promised, the Father and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to remind them of his teachings and motivate them for the task at hand.

         Yes, I am thankful for all these occurrences, but I also have an earthly side.  I am thankful for my entire family.  Most of them have proceeded to the after-life.  I miss them all including great grand parents and two grandfathers that I never met.  I am thankful for the memories of my life.  I am extremely grateful to my earthly mother who taught me the basics of cooking.  I love them all and toasted them at dinner with red wine, tears in my eyes, and a lump in my throat.

         I am thankful to the readers of all my articles.  If any of my thankful thoughts stirred memories when you read this, just say a prayer for them.  There may be good memories and unfortunate ones.  Bless the good memories and forgive the unfortunate ones.  Always be thankful that we are alive today in the greatest nation that the world has ever seen.  Yes, it needs improvement, but so do we as individuals.  Pray that the Holy Spirit sends guidance to the new administration to resolve the many problems that we have and to make life better for the little guy known as the common man.

         Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe.  Deo Gratias.  Gloria Tibi Domini.  Praise be to God.  See you in Paradise. Amen.