My dear brothers and sisters, today, we gather for this great Thanksgiving. What an appropriate place to celebrate Thanksgiving. Because the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by a group of pilgrims from England together with the local native people. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving together. And for the next 50 years being together. They enjoyed that Harmony, that peace. Those early pilgrims in 1620, 1621, were Christians. There were those who believed deeply and profoundly in the Thanksgiving meal that our Lord celebrated. They understood, and they appreciated the help of the native people when they were struggling to live in a new world. Today, I wanted to gather with you to take a look at the life of Jesus and perhaps learn why Thanksgiving is so important. Why Thanksgiving is not just about eating chicken or turkey. It's not so much about food either. Precisely about something more fundamental, more profound, and More Beautiful.

There are seven times in the gospel. both in the gospels in Matthew, look at John and Mark. The first time when he gave thanks to God, when he said this: Thank you Father for you have revealed the truth to the unlearned, not for the learned. He thanked the father because he, the father, has revealed the truth, the depth of the mystery of God, incarnate the mysteries of God being with his people to the lowly, to the people who are not educated. That's the first time we thank God. That means he thanked God for the truth being revealed. my brothers and sisters, let's learn and thank our lord Jesus for the truth of our faith, for the truth of our dignity as his children, as his adopted sons, and daughters, as part of this beautiful family.

A couple of times, he thanked God when he performed miracles. First, before 4000 people, later for five thousand people. Remember that Eucharistic Miracles sort of multiplied bread, fish, and he fed four thousand and five thousand people not counting children and women「. And our lord gave thanks to the father so the source of his power did not come from him; it came from the heavenly father. The food, th power, the fish, everything that he used to multiply actually being given to him, and the power came from on high, Jesus our lord became a very medium of Grace. My brothers and sisters, we thank God once again. together with our Lord. Thanks for the power that we have been given, power to be a father, to be a mother, to be a Christian man and woman. The power could move mountains with our faith, the power that shaped the world, the power that changes life, the power to serve one another, the power that our Lord has demonstrated. it's on the cross, the power, love ,forgiveness, the power of service and humility. And I'm so proud of our community. our brothers and sisters in Saint Vincent De Paul. those who serve the homeless, those who help to settle refugees in our community, those who contributed prayers and Financial Resources. We have come together, we have demonstrated the power of faith, manifested in very concrete Works of Mercy, charity, and justice.

Other times our Lord offered Thanksgiving when he Resurrected Lazarus. Lazarus was there, four days in the Tomb. Smelled so badly and he came there, he cried, and he gave thanks to the heavenly father, and he said : "Lazarus的 come out the tomb" and the dead man walked again. So my dear brothers and sister, before he resurrected, before he called life back, he thanked the father.

How many times, my dear brothers and sisters, we appreciate the Dignity of human life, we appreciate the very life that we have, and the heavenly father has given. The spirit of Life deep within us, we thank him, we thank our Lord, he purchased our life with his death on the cross. And the heavenly father met us in His image. We thank him for the gift of every life that we have. and our father have listened to our lord Jesus, so he listened to us as well. pray for those children in the womb, pray for those victims who have died ,pray for those who have gone in faith, and pray for us so that we could cherish life, and not hurting, but cherish, loving, sharing, maintaining it.

and another time our Lord, this is the most beautiful moment perhaps, combination of everything the owl has done - the Last Supper. the Last Supper when he about to die, when he about to give Bread and Wine to his disciples, and he said: "this is my body, this is my blood", he gave thanks to God, he gave thanks to This Magnificent Gift of Life, going to be poured out for those who believe in him. So my brothers and sisters, Thanksgiving, the Eucharistic celebration, becomes an act of Thanksgiving for the entire Universal Church. You and I are coming together today, celebrating this Thanksgiving feast. Appropriately, within the context of the mass. Because together with our Lord, the church unites with the Saints, holy men and women, and those who are living, pray and thank God for this magnificent gift of Salvation, Christ Our Lord.

Shortly we're going to receive him, going to receive his body and blood. Shortly we're going to thank the father. For him, for his love, for his Mercy, for his kindness. Those are the moments in Jesus' life that he offered things. Those are the moments that really define our life as well. so my brothers and sisters when we share our Thanksgiving meal at the table, don't forget to pray for life, don't forget to thank God for the food that we have, don't forget to thank him for the faith, for the hope, for the love that we share, don't forget to thank our heavenly father for the very life, spiritual life that we have. And don't forget to thank God for the struggles that we endure, for the sufferings that we have, for everything that we have in our life. That Saint Paul would say: "in all things give thanks". "In all things give thanks". Because our heavenly father will never abandon you and I. we have him, we have everything. At this moment, we thank him.

As a priest, as the pastor, I want to thank all of you. I want to thank Our Father Manny for his leadership for many years, for the support of Deacons, for our volunteers, and for all of you. one way or another, the love that you shared, the prayers that you pour over, and also the struggles, The Challenge, and also the oppositions as well. in all things, I thank God for it, or things I thank God for you. so my brothers and sister shall stand Be