On this Thanksgiving Day, the
appointed Epistle for the daily prayer of the Church is taken from Paul’s
letter to the Thessalonians:
But we
appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and
have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in
love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you,
beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be
patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always
seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but
test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
May the
God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and
body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. (1 Thes. 5:12-24).
In all things be thankful! Yes,
in good times and in bad times. For
Paul, it is a matter of perspective. If we
live in the Holy Spirit and if our focus is on Jesus Christ and on his Father,
there is much to give thanks for come what may.
Let us pray: Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your
unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and
loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation,
preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your
immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for
the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly
thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in
our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in
holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages.
Amen.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo
Episcopal ChurchGalveston, Texas 77550
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