Thanksgiving Homily Thursday November 24, 2022

By Deacon Danny Wong

Thanksgiving

If you ask relatives and friends, how to celebrate Thanksgiving?

Most people will answer: "Eating turkey, drinking, watching football or basketball, playing games, sharing family fun, Black Friday Shopping, visiting relatives, resting at home, etc."

There's no denying that Thanksgiving is a great time for families to get together. But some church members have different ideas. Thanksgiving is not celebrated at home, but in church. Because the Eucharist, a Greek word that means “Thanksgiving.” Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we have established a father-son-daughter relationship with the Creator. The most important thing on Thanksgiving is to visit the Father in heaven. We stand surround the altar, listen to the holy words of Christ, receive Holy Communion, and thank God for the grace. Also pray for God's continued protection.

We have many people to thank on Thanksgiving, for example: Fr. Fong, brothers and sisters who lead and support this community. Also: readers, choirs, and especially pianists. Mary Ann and Kelly served Saints Peter & Paul in San Francisco, and they came to help us again. Few people choose to do such a hard service.

Everyone has different ideas, and there is also a sequence of things that should be done. Of the ten lepers who were cleansed, only one came back and glorified God with a loud voice, knelt at Jesus' feet, and thanked him. This person thinks that the most important thing is to thank the Lord Jesus for healing, and he can do other things later.

Life is often about choosing what is considered a priority. Some people think that earning more money is the most important thing, while others think that health is the most important thing. There are also people who live aimlessly. There are all kinds of life, and there are all kinds of people.

In this world, what many people agree with is right. Government officials follow this principle to make legislation. They would think that those nine people are right, and the person who came back to thank the Lord Jesus is wrong, because what the majority of people do, they can legislate from wrong to right.

Therefore, Catholics in this generation are difficult to distinguish good and evil, right and wrong. They should live according to the teachings of the Church. Do not criticize the Church for not catching up with the trend. Christ is the head of the Church, and he is leading the Church. We can only hold on to the boat of the church and live with gratitude. God is the only one who can be trusted.

Remember what the Lord Jesus said to the leper who was healed today: “Your faith has saved you.”

感恩節講道

如果你問親戚朋友，怎樣慶祝感恩節？

大多數人會回答：「一家人吃火雞、飲酒、睇波、玩遊戲機、分享家庭樂趣、Black Friday Shopping、出埠探親、留在家中休息等等。」

無可否認，感恩節是家庭成員團聚的好時光。但有些教友有不同的想法：感恩節不是在家中慶祝，而是在聖堂裏。因為彌撒就是感恩祭。我們藉著聖神的洗禮，同造物主建立了父親同兒女的親密關係。感恩節最重要的是探訪天上的父親，一羣弟兄姊妹圍繞主的祭台，聆聽基督的聖言，領聖體，感謝天主聖三的恩寵。當然亦祈求天主繼續的保守。

在感恩節我們有很多人要多謝，在團體的層面，有Fr. Fong，有弟兄姊妹帶領及支持這個團體。還有：讀經員、歌詠團、特別是琴師。Mary Ann 同 Kelly服務完三藩市的 Saints Peter & Paul 團體之後，又趕來幫手。這樣辛苦的服務，很少人會選擇去做。

每個人的想法不同，應該做的事情次序亦有先後。潔淨了的十個癩病人，只有一個回來大聲光榮天主，跪伏在耶穌足前，感謝祂。這一個人認為最重要的是要回來感謝主耶穌醫好自己，其他的事情可以遲些去做。

人生亦是經常選擇那些被認為優先的事物。有人認為賺更多的錢是最重要，有人認為健康最重要。亦有人漫無目的生活。另外有人趁著人生的最後拾多年去做多年來想做而沒有完成的事情而病到了。總而言之，人生百態，什麼人都有。

現代世人的想法是：多人贊成的事情就是對的。政府官員就是跟據這個原則去立法。他們會認為那九個人是對的，而這個回來答謝主耶穌的人是錯的，因為大多數的人做的，就可以立法，由錯變成對的。

所以，教友在這個世代生活，很容易迷失方向，不能分辨善與惡及錯或對，我們應該跟著教會的訓導去生活，切勿批評教會不追上潮流。因為基督是教會的頭，帶領著教會，我們要信賴祂。唯有抓緊教會這隻船，懷著感恩的心情去生活。只有天主是唯一可以信賴。

記著主耶穌今日對那醫好的癩病人既訓導：「你的信德救了你。」

黃昌雄執事