tvc.dsj.org | November 19, 2019
IN THE DIOCESE
3
A Message of Gratitude from Bishop Cantú
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving Day, millions of
Americans will gather around the table
to say grace, acknowledge and give
thanks for the many blessings that God
has bestowed upon them. This is a very
special time when many dispersed
families and loved ones gather not only
to share a meal but also their mutual
love and affection.
As we reflect on God’s goodness and
give thanks for the many gifts we have
received from Him, let us recall and
pray for our brothers and sisters who
are experiencing hardships: the poor,
the homeless, the sick, those mourning
the loss of loved ones, pregnant women
considering abortion, the lonely, refu-
gees, migrants seeking a better life for
their families, married couples and
families struggling to live the joy of
love, the incarcerated, and all those suf-
fering from depression or other mental
illnesses. May they experience the love
and closeness of Christ in their lives.
Thanksgiving in Scripture and the
Eucharist
Jesus instituted the Eucharist as
an act of thanksgiving: “He took the
bread, and giving thanks, broke it … He
took the chalice, and once more giving
thanks, he gave it to his disciples” (cf.
Lk 22:19,17, 1 Cor 11:24).
At Mass, a brief but important dia-
logue reminds us what we are about:
“Let us give thanks to the Lord our
God… it is right and just. It is truly right
and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you
thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty
and eternal God.”
Preparing our hearts for the season
of Advent
The Sunday following Thanksgiving
Day brings us the Season of Advent
and, with that, a new Liturgical Year.
During Advent, we await in hopeful
anticipation for the coming of Jesus.
During the first two weeks of Advent,
the Church invites us to reflect upon
the Second Coming of Christ at the
end of time. The remaining two weeks
prepare us for the liturgical Season of
Christmas where we meditate on the
sacred mysteries of the birth of Jesus
and the life of the Holy Family.
To help us better experience the Sea-
son of Advent, let us reflect upon some
wisdom from the recently canonized
Saint John Henry Newman:
“Thus the soul is cast forward upon the
future, and in proportion as its conscience
is clear and its perception keen and true,
does it rejoice solemnly that ‘the night is
far spent, the day is at hand,’ that there are
‘new heavens and a new earth’ to come,
though the former are failing; nay, rather
that, because they are failing, it will ‘soon
see the King in His beauty,’ and ‘behold the
land which is very far off.’ These are feelings
for holy men in winter and in age, waiting,
in some dejection perhaps, but with comfort
on the whole, and calmly though earnestly,
for the Advent of Christ” (Parochial and
Plain Sermons vol. V, “Worship, a Prepara-
tion for Christ’s Coming”).
I pray that during the short four
weeks of Advent, we prepare the way
for the Lord in our hearts and in our
families as we prayerfully and joyfully
await his coming.
+Oscar Cantú
Catholic Cemeteries: Paying “Thankful” Forward
By Candee Lucas, Outreach
2 Corinthians 4:15; “Everything indeed
is for you, so that the grace bestowed in
abundance on more and more people may
cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the
glory of God.”
As we sit down to Thanksgiving
dinner this year let’s think about some-
thing bigger than ourselves: After the
holiday--turkey, football, pumpkins
and Black Friday when we go back to
our lives on Monday, let’s see what we
can make happen. What do we take
away from this holiday and how can
we put back into the world?
On Thanksgiving Day, we come
together for sacred listening with
family and friends, to give thanks for
the bounty in our lives and hope to be
worthy of the gifts we have been given.
Having opened our hearts to one an-
other, we will take that same feeling
back into the world and practice the
open-heartedness that is necessary for
us to continue to live fully with others.
We will take curiosity about each
other back into the world with us so
that we can continue to wonder. We
take back a new appreciation for the
faith experience of others.
We will leave behind our doubts.
We will look forward and not back-
ward at life experiences that live in a
shadowed past.
We will take our hearts back into the
world so that they may continue to be
opened in compassion and love. Com-
passion will be what we practice, lest it
become off-hand or less than fulsome.
We will take our trust back into
the world so that we may not lose our
marvel in the world and the humans
and creatures that inhabit it with us.
We will leave behind our fears. We
will look to the future and see the pos-
sibilities there. We will neither cower
nor look at others with suspicion. We
will refuse to give in to shallow doubts.
We will learn to lean back into God’s
embrace when we feel uneasy, let Him
lead us and direct us. We will learn to
be quiet in His presence. To let Him
speak to us in the silence. To wait pa-
tiently for His guiding hand.
We will loosen our hold on our egos
to allow God space to enter. We will
seek the authenticity born of silent
reflection, knowing we are united in
our desires to be with God. We will
sit and breathe, that most ancient form
of prayer.
Mostly, we hope to remain mindful,
to allow God all the time and space He
needs to be with us and with those who
wish to travel with Him.
Catholic Cemeteries is here to listen
and walk with you and your family in
times of sorrow. We hope to be of as-
sistance and presence when you need
us. We are here to support you now and
on through your grief journey with our
many ongoing grief support programs.
For further information, contact us at
(833) 677-9644 or at [email protected] .