By Larry Peterson
The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy began on December 8, 2015,
and Pope Francis gave us a quote to coincide with the Holy Year; “It is a favorable time to heal wounds, a
time to offer everyone the way of Forgiveness and Reconciliation.”
On November 20, the Solemnity of Christ the King, The
Holy Year will officially end. We will have focused on mercy and forgiveness
for a year and received the graces that came along with it. It seems so fitting
that the beauty and meaning of this entire Holy Year can now be encapsulated by
the impending holiday season. The Holy Father wanted us to direct our actions
and attention “on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the
Father's actions in our lives . . . a time when the witness of believers might
grow stronger and more effective".
Four days after the Holy Year ends we celebrate our
great American holiday, Thanksgiving, and this year the holiday presents us
with an extraordinary opportunity. What
better time to show mercy and love, on a nationwide scale, from sea to shining
sea, than Thanksgiving. It can be our grand finale to this grace filled year.
Thanksgiving is the
one day of the year where we pause and simply give “Thanks” for all that we
have, even if it is just a “little”; a job, good health, a cancer in remission, the subsiding of a
three day old migraine headache, connecting with a long lost relative, the
birth of a child, surviving a natural disaster...there are so many things that we can be thankful for. Most
importantly, there is that great intangible that spreads across our nation on
this day and it ties right into the culmination of the Holy Year of Mercy. That
intangible is the abundance of mercy, forgiveness and love that explodes within
the hearts of so many millions of people.
*This article appeared in Aleteia on November 18, 2016
No-one in America needs to go hungry on
Thanksgiving Day. On this day people all across the country and from every
economic situation can have a turkey dinner. Homeless shelters and soup
kitchens and prisons serve turkey. Folks who have little or no money are able
to receive turkey baskets from various charitable organizations so they can
have a turkey dinner at home with their families. You do not need to purchase
gifts. All you have to do is show up, hang out, eat and enjoy the uplifted
spirit of family and friends that are with you, even if they are strangers
turned friends you just met in a soup kitchen.
In my parish alone, we manage to supply
complete Thanksgiving baskets to about 250 families, feeding about 1000 people
for the holiday. All of the food is donated by parishioners. Some folks donate
money and that is used to purchase the frozen turkeys. In effect, virtually all
the parishioners participate in the Giveaway. (I am sure many of you have
similar programs in or near your own parishes.)
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we
distribute the turkeys and all the trimmings to people of all denominations in
our area to take home for “turkey day”. Everything has come from the hearts of
parishioners and is joyfully given to strangers so they might enjoy the day.
How cool is that? And doesn’t it also speak to the Holy Father’s call to evangelize?
All across the United States, Catholic
parishes, churches of other denominations, soup-kitchens and shelters, etc.
show Christ’s mercy and love to strangers on Thanksgiving. It is a wondrous thing
and such a beautiful way to finish up the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Unexpectedly,
in the year 2016, the end of Holy Year of Mercy collided with our Thanksgiving
holiday. If we listen we may even hear the “Drumsticks” smashing cymbals of mercy
which resonate nationwide with sounds of love.
As we cross the finish line of the
Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy we thank God for having allowed us to be
part of such a grace-filled year. We also should thank Him for Thanksgiving. We
can consider it the Grand Finale to the Holy Year just completed. It is a
beautiful thing.
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