It is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Ceremonies and periods of thanksgiving are woven through the entire tapestry of history. Go to Mass on Thanksgiving morning, and if you can, brine that Thanksgiving turkey with some good Florida orange juice and remember well the blessed day of September 8th, 1565, the celebration of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary that likewise was the inaugural American Thanksgiving in beautiful Florida. In 1780, the Protestant Episcopal Church declared the first Thursday of November as an annual day of thanksgiving to mighty God. Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). An historical appreciation of the wonderful event of the Catholic Mass that witnessed Native Americans and Spanish pilgrims alike come together to celebrate God’s goodness and intimate presence in our lives that wonderful Florida day in 1589 deepens our appreciation of the powerful presence of the Catholic Faith in America from its colonization and can strengthen the harmonization of our love of God and Nation as Catholics. Bless us this day; may we grow in love for each other in our family and so give thanks to you who are the maker of all human families and our abiding peace. The first Thanksgiving was September 8, 1565, the first Catholic Mass (Eucharist = thanksgiving as well as the Cross) celebrated at the Spanish site … In the Collect (Opening Prayer) we heard, Daily Catholic Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert P. Reed of the West Region/Watertown, MA, on November 26, 2020. 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Of course, it is important to likewise note that even in this Puritan event (and remember the Puritans were quite Anti-Catholic and this is probably an understatement) that almost every American schoolchild is comfortably familiar with from an early age, there was a strong Catholic presence in the person of the famous Indian Squanto, a Catholic convert who saved by Spanish Franciscans, was at first enslaved by the English. Happy Thanksgiving! As Catholics and as Americans we should be overwhelmed by our blessings and consequently overcome with joy and gratitude at the gifts that God has given us. (Here’s my full article on … To all our readers, Please don't scroll past this. Such an event should be widely known and taught to us as Americans. The Catholic Telegraph Mass Times and More Calendar has released Mass Times for Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke ranks with his predecessors and declared the fourth Thursday in 1939 and the third Thursday in 1940 and 1941 as the day. Today this Thanksgiving Feast is commemorated in San Juan on the thirtieth day of April every year. The Mass magnifies our appreciation of every day, and in a special way, Thanksgiving Day takes on an even deeper, richer meaning for Catholics through the Mass. Historically, Thanksgiving was viewed as a holy day more than a holiday, where society ceased from their work and gave thanks to God for all His goodness. Americans typically look back to 1621 as the first recorded Thanksgiving, where the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians gathered for a three-day feast of Thanksgiving to God for the harvest. Since 1817, New York State has officially celebrated Thanksgiving Day. A detailed description of the First Thanksgiving can be found in "A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth," written by Edward Winslow in 1621: "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. He has worked as a College Financial Aid Advisor as well as having owned his own Catholic goods & bookstore among other job titles. And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, Canon 1246, §2 - Holy Days Of Obligation, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who… Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. Your email address will not be published. Keywords: Thanksgiving, Catholic, Mass, Washington, Lincoln, historic, proclamation. Required fields are marked *. A Happy Thanksgiving 2017 to you and yours, with love, (For a wonderful further resource on Catholics and the Thanksgiving holiday see Taylor Marshall’s excellent blog article, 6 Interesting Catholic Thanksgiving Facts You Need To Know. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... A civil holiday observed annually in the United States of America on the last Thursday in November. President Abraham Lincoln instituted the holiday in … As a Catholic, I have peacefully and even joyfully reconciled the “competing” thanksgiving of the Puritans in Massachusetts and the Spanish Catholics in Florida, both including an event of thanksgiving and friendship with the Native Americans. We find them in the Jewish Calendar of Feasts, in other world religions, in European cultures and native practices of North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Homily for Thanksgiving Day. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The Best Catholic Daily Mass Readings. The Catholic Priesthood: Biblical Foundations. Copyright © A.D. 2018 Catholic Stand | Powered by Astra. The Mass itself is the highest form of thanksgiving to our Lord and Creator on Earth. Loving God, who created and sustains the universe, who loved us all into being, and who gives us every good thing, we thank you for the blessings . Thanksgiving Day presents us with the perfect opportunity to look at this particular aspect of our faith. Michael Buckley Love Has Triumphed. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.". Spread the love. A little over 100 years later the first presidential proclamation was made as President George Washington, on October 3, 1789, declared Thursday, November 26 at a day of Thanksgiving. 98% of our readers don't give; they simply look the other way. General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful) for Thanksgiving Day Mass From Archives (Thanksgiving Day Homilies): Without Gratitude The Fundamental Freedom - Freedom of Religion Great Dividing Line The Power of Gratitude Thanksgiving and Salvation Howard Hughes vs. Dostoevsky The Radical Virtue Thanksgiving Day 1988. The Mass itself is the highest form of thanksgiving to our Lord and Creator on Earth. Hundreds were present at this Mass, including the Timucuan Indians. We have many reasons to give thanks to God today. Topics. We thank you for the gift of life itself, which you gave us in our mothers’ wombs. Amen.". If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. ), Your email address will not be published. Congress intervened in 1941 and officially declared the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day | USCCB Skip to main content We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. So too it is also a day tinged with the sacred; it is a laudable and noble celebration to give thanks for all the goodness and blessings bestowed upon the United States of America. Nate is a cradle Catholic hailing from the rolling grasslands northeast of Denver,Colorado. The texts of our liturgy today remind us of the many reasons we have to thank God. First Station: Jesus is condemned to death, Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb. We give You thanks for all You have done, mostly for the gift of Jesus Christ, Your Son. The connection between the Mass and the concept and act of thanksgiving is a very intimate one, though we can tragically overlook that fact. But that's not how it began! Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. The first Thanksgiving in America was a Catholic Mass. September 5 — Day of Prayer for Human Rights and Labor (Labor Day) November 24 — Day of Prayer for the Fruits of the Earth (Thanksgiving Day) References. Furthermore, a very Catholic thanksgiving event that precedes by a number of decades the Massachusetts event can leave us wondering how so many are so unaware of this momentous occasion, Catholic or not; After all, it is part of the history of the settlement of the Americas. Happy Thanksgiving! The shorter prayer follows and both can be downloaded at the USCCB publishing website at http://www.usccbpublishing.org. Catholics are called to redeem the day as a time of thanksgiving by attending Mass and having prayer together as family and friends. Introduction: Today is a day of national thanksgiving 1) for the blessings and protection God has given us. Special offerings, such as the Mass in St. Augustine in 1598 served to heighten our awareness of God's hand in our lives. We petition God often; today is a day to give thanks. We thank you for our work and our rest, for one another, and for our homes. Today’s Morning Prayer. "Lord, we thank you for the goodness of our people and for the spirit of justice that fills this nation. Today, Thanksgiving Day, my health problems and personal situations flared high and commanded me, as usual, to groan and complain, fester and pester, get angry and froth at the mouth. A great way to start Thanksgiving Day is with the family and friends and attend a Mass near you. In fact, the very word Eucharist means “thanksgiving”. At Mass we give thanks to God, uniting ourselves to Christ Jesus and all the angels and saints in a magnificent way, thanking him for creating us, for dying on the Cross for us and rising that we might have life in abundance by sharing in his divine life that he as the God-Man offers to us, redeeming us as the God-Man. Many believe that the Pilgrims brought the idea with them from Europe, while Native Americans also observed special days to honor a good harvest. She suggests that Catholic families can most effectively highlight the true meaning of thanksgiving by attending Mass together as a family on Thanksgiving Day. by Fr. Here was witnessed a Catholic Mass in which Spanish settlers and Native Americans convened together to celebrate the sacred mysteries and also join together for a feast. If you are one of our rare donors, you have our gratitude and we warmly thank you. For Catholics, thanksgiving is a daily and weekly occurrence through the Mass, where the Eucharistic Sacrifice is our Great Thanksgiving. A second similar "Thanksgiving" celebration occurred on American soil on April 30, 1598 in Texas when Don Juan de Oñate declared a day of Thanksgiving to be commemorated by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. But how about bean soup? A Catholic Thanksgiving prayer. Thanksgiving Day Prayer. 'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education', Celebrate Sunday Mass - Easter Sunday - 4.4.21, Happy Easter: The Tomb is Empty! Thanksgiving Day. R/. [Ironically, during early days of our nation Benjamin Franklin wanted to have the turkey declared our national bird.]. Pope expresses support for IUSVE Cube Radio Weekday Mass - Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time // Thanksgiving Day 11.26.20 You must be logged in to post a comment. Catholics are called to redeem the day as a time of thanksgiving by attending Mass and having prayer together as family and friends. - Log in Yet I realize now that this was neither the first nor the most powerful and grace-filled Thanksgiving event on American soil, a historical fact that I do wish I had known and appreciated much sooner. “Part of what Thanksgiving is about is feeling loved.” For Catholics, Father Garrow gives many ways to incorporate faith into the secular holiday. When he established the day as an annual tradition in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln continued to remind America that Thanksgiving was a time to remember God and His goodness and established the day on the last Thursday of November. Thanksgiving Day may be observed with a special Mass at Catholic churches throughout the United States of America. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Show the volunteers who bring you reliable, Catholic information that their work matters. The first official proclamation on Thanksgiving took place in Charlestown, Massachusetts on June 20, 1676, when the city council set June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. Firstly, by going to Mass, since most parishes have a morning offering on Thanksgiving Day. According to some calculations, 46 million turkeys-around 550 million pounds-will be consumed during Thanksgiving this year. We have a new custom of bringing our turkeys in a saltwater bath the night before they are cooked to increase the moistness and quality of these feasting birds. Another Mass of Thanksgiving, not connected to harvest, was celebrated by the expeditionary party of Don Juan de Onate on April 30, 1598. For our daily sustenance, Your mercy and care, these are the blessings You kindly share. The Catholic origins of Thanksgiving don't stop there. WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Happy Thanksgiving! ... is the primary way to offer thanks on Thanksgiving Day, followed by a meal shared in … Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. So it seems that two historically significantly thanksgivings preceded the Puritan Massachusetts event. “Prayer is an aspiration of the heart. Mass Readings For November 28, 2019 – Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Day. Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. 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