|
|
|
Published by the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
November 23, 2005
Encyclical
of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios for
Thanksgiving Day 2005
|
 |
 |
Protocol
121/05
November 24, 2005
Thanksgiving Day
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend
Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the
Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of
the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day,
Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos
Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic
Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox
Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we experience the beauty of the autumn season
during these final months of the year, we arrive
at our national celebration of Thanksgiving, a
handsome occasion to thank God for the abundance
of blessings that He bestows upon us each and
every day of our lives. For many of us,
Thanksgiving affords us an important annual
opportunity to be reunited with long-distance
family members and friends in a much anticipated
celebration of life. More importantly, however,
Thanksgiving is a sacred opportunity for us to
come together to affirm our recognition that God
is the source of the life and liberty that we
enjoy in this great land.
The origins of Thanksgiving in our nation's
history reflect this recognition. The colonists
who had fled from Europe to escape religious
persecution in the seventeenth century had found
a home in America. The price of their liberty,
however, did not come without substantial
hardship or risk. For them, uncertain living
accommodations, harsh weather, and perilous
travel were the norm of the day. Yet through
faith, the early settlers prevailed. They were
overcome with feelings of gratitude to God
because they knew that He alone was the source
of the life and liberty that they had come to
enjoy. Indeed, one can imagine the early
settlers finding encouragement in the comforting
words of the Psalmist, “Know that the Lord He
is God; it is He Who has made us and not we
ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of
His pasture. Enter into His gates with
thanksgiving…be thankful to Him and bless His
name” (Psalm 99(100): 3-4). It was in this
spirit that the first celebration of
Thanksgiving was born in 1621.
Two centuries later our nation was engulfed in a
brutal civil war. In 1863, President Abraham
Lincoln issued a Proclamation establishing “a
day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent
Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” In his
proclamation, Lincoln did not ignore the
calamities of war that were present at the time.
Indeed, he appealed to the nation to pray for
the healing of communities and families that had
been torn apart by strife. Yet he also focused
his attention on God, noting a heightened
abundance of material and natural resources in
the nation that year and stating, “No human
counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand
worked out these great things. They are the
gracious gifts of the Most High God…”
This year at Thanksgiving, the times in which we
live, for different reasons, are no less
uncertain or no less threatening as they were in
past centuries. Yet, just as our forefathers and
mothers did in the midst of considerable
anxiety, we too must be mindful and grateful of
the beneficence of God, Who watches over us
continually with care, Who delivers us from
every adversity, and Who bestows continual
blessings of life and liberty upon us. As Greek
Orthodox Christians who are citizens and
residents of the United States, we should
reflect upon our history with the same
conviction, confidence, and knowledge that God
alone is the source of our every prosperity that
we today enjoy. As we come together as families
and communities across America, let us express
our immense gratitude to Him, our beneficent
Father, and let us affirm our dedication as
worshipping communities of faith and service to
others, so that all may come to know the endless
love and mercy of our gracious and great God.
It is my fervent prayer that this Day of
Thanksgiving may provide each of you with an
opportunity to rejoice in one another's
fellowship, to grow in your assurance of God's
abiding protection, and to remember that the
wondrous works and gifts of God are continually
present in our daily lives. May God bless you
and your families on this wonderful Day of
Thanksgiving, and may God bless America.
With
paternal love in Christ,
+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
|
