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November 21, 2021Dear Parishioners,
This week we celebrate as a nation Thanksgiving Day. We will have Mass here at the parish at 9:00am that day with a blessing of bread for families to take home. The best way we give thanks for our blessings of faith, family and nation is by worshipping God at Mass. In fact the word Eucharist means “Thanksgiving.” The word itself derives from the Greek word eucharistia which means “thanksgiving.” Going farther up the chain of words it also derives from the Greek word kharis which means “grace.” It may refer to Holy Communion itself, but it is also used to designate the second part of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Eucharist (as opposed to the Liturgy of the Word). This word signals part of the purpose of the Mass which is to give thanks to almighty God for all that he has done for us, and in particular, for His sacrifice and death on the cross and resurrection for our salvation. During the Mass the English terms “thanks” or “thanksgiving” are used often to try and emphasize this purpose of the Mass. A happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day to all!
It is, however, not simply us offering thanksgiving to God, but Jesus Christ, the beloved son. At every Mass we unite ourselves to His great prayer of thanksgiving to the Father through the Holy Spirit. In many ways throughout our lives we offer thanksgiving to God, but it is through the Mass, united to Christ, that we offer perfect praise and thanksgiving.
A big thank you to all who donated hygiene products, cleaning supplies and toiletries to the Warde-Robe. Those donations help that ministry provide needed supplies to the poor and needy. Those supplies are particularly helpful for those trying to reenter the workforce and attend interviews.
In the school we had a very successful canned food drive in tribute to our veterans. The hallway of the main entrance to the school was full of food! It was the combined work of our parish school and religious education program. A big thank you to Mrs. Levesque, Mr. Hannon, and Mrs. Frisina for organizing the event. As a result of the successful food drive, Saint Teresa School has started a food pantry for needy families. We will be welcoming food donations in an ongoing fashion. Please feel free to contribute at any time at the school.
God bless,
Fr. Barrow
