November 26
Thanksgiving Day
First Reading
Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9A
I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth became illumined by his splendor. He cried out in a mighty voice:“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.”
A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone and threw it into the sea and said:
“With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down, and will never be found again. No melodies of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, will ever be heard in you again. No craftsmen in any trade will ever be found in you again. No sound of the millstone will ever be heard in you again. No light from a lamp will ever be seen in you again. No voices of bride and groom will ever be heard in you again. Because your merchants were the great ones of the world, all nations were led astray by your magic potion.”
After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
“Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her harlotry. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
They said a second time:
“Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever.”
Then the angel said to me,
“Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5
R. (Rev. 19: 9a) Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Alleluia
1 Thessalonians 5:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the Scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Give a Mass Offering
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
“Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Readings & Reflection
Happy Thanksgiving!
In the midst of what the Church celebrates as the end times, and the end of our liturgical year, we here in the United States have the privilege of celebrating a day of thanksgiving. Of course, we are thankful for our country, our way of life and ability to celebrate our faith freely and openly. Yet still, we keep a watchful eye on everything that seems to want to threaten our way of life. We see occurrences around that world that take people’s freedoms away. We see persecutions, often for religious reasons, and yet we recognize today that God has done wondrous things on Earth and fashions us according to his will, as we hear proclaimed today in the reading from Sirach.
We must never lose sight of God’s involvement in our lives. This means that we must not despair; we must not panic, or become distraught. We remember that God is always with us, with our country, our Church, with us individually and ultimately will not let harm come to any of his children.
Christ reminds us that the Kingdom of God is here and now, we live within it, but the Kingdom we know is not complete. Ultimately, God’s goal for us is that we enter the eternal Kingdom, where we find the ultimate freedom! Until that time, let us thank God for the goodness we find in our country, and rejoice that we have the privilege to live here in the United States of America!
Peace,
Fr. John Kurgan
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