“Thanksgiving” is at the very heart of who we are and what we do as Catholics. Every Mass is our thanksgiving to God. It is the greatest way we can express our gratitude to God. Our gift of thanks to our heavenly Father is ourselves, united to the gift of Jesus Christ on the cross. To a God who gives us His all, our only fitting response is to give our all. It is a sign of great hope that our country, founded on the pursuit of religious freedom, sets aside a day on the calendar to give thanks to God. Of all our civic holidays, it may be the most profound expression of our resolve to remain one nation under God. As we remain faithful to our obligation to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as we gather each week to give praise, thanks, and glory to our God, we support this noble and essential American ideal and safeguard the foundation of true freedom.
We haven’t been lacking in our share of hardships and trials, especially here at St. Anthony’s with the sudden and recent loss of parishioners who have been such a big part of our lives. It is so important for us, in the midst of these and other personal difficulties, to give thanks for our blessings. This certainly doesn’t take away our crosses, but it can make them a lot lighter. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said, “take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me, for My yoke is easy and My burden light.” Our blessings are a reminder that Jesus is accompanying us and supporting us with so many graces. It can be easy at times to forget that the sun is out, even if it is hidden behind clouds. Taking time to say, “thank you God,” especially for the gift of our loved ones, is an exercise in turning away from poor spirit to good spirit, from darkness to light. It is a reminder that Jesus and Mary are always with us. Let us turn to them in spirit, especially on this upcoming Thanksgiving Day, as we give thanks to God for the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I am personally grateful for the gift of the priesthood and the opportunity to serve you here at St. Anthony’s as your pastor with two extraordinary priests, namely, Fr. Villa, Fr. George and Fr. Reuben, along with our deacon, Deacon Tom Vargas. I am very conscious of the fact that we are a team here at St. Anthony’s, and that our effectiveness in our vocations is dependent on the support, dedication, and talent of our professional staff for whom I am very grateful as well. I would like to express my particular gratitude to Judy Wagner, our parish administrator for over nineteen years! Unfortunately for us, however, Judy recently expressed to me a need to cut back on her schedule and would therefore not be able to continue working here at St. Anthony’s. I am glad that she stayed on board as long as she did, especially with regard to breaking in a new pastor. I assured Judy that even if she is no longer an employee of St. Anthony’s, she still remains a member of our parish family. Those of you who know Judy know that she went far beyond her job description in serving our parish over all of these years. We have been blessed with a wonderful example of what it means to serve God with selflessness, devotion, and dedication. May God continue to bless Judy and her family. Let us offer a particular prayer of gratitude for Judy and for all of those who serve our parish in so many quiet yet profound ways.
Lastly, I am always inspired by and grateful for those who volunteer here at St. Anthony’s! It is a sign of hope to me that the faith is very much alive and that our parish has a strong future. Now that we are in a much better place with regard to COVID, we are able to get back to life as it was here at St. Anthony’s with the help of God and the support of our many parishioners.The presence of our choir at Mass and the lifting up of their voices once again, has become a wonderful sign that we are indeed turning a corner with regard to COVID and a reminder of the gift of our beloved director, Laurence Broderick. I am grateful for their example of what we do in the face of trials and difficulties namely, keep on singing! We keep on believing. We keep on thanking. In this way, we rise above and enter into the joy of the Kingdom. I would like to add here, in response to inquiries about music ministry at St. Anthony’s in light of Laurence’s passing, that it is too soon to make any decisions about a new director. Between now and the beginning of January, we will do our best to keep things going by taking advantage of the cantors and musicians who have been so gracious to make themselves available to help us through this difficult time. I will keep you posted.
May God bless you and your families in a special way this week. As we gather to give thanks around whatever tables we may find ourselves, may we remember to pray for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and those who find themselves separated from family and loved ones. You are all welcome and invited to gather around our parish table, the altar of sacrifice, on Thanksgiving Day at 8:00 am for a Eucharistic meal. Know that you are all in my prayers!