Photo by Evan Brandt on Unsplash
Commentary
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and the fixings. While these may be the first things that come to mind when we gather around our dining tables on the fourth Thursday of November, I proffer that Thanksgiving takes a much deeper meaning for Catholics, especially for all of us who live in Hawaii.
Our Catholic faith is centered around the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where the church and the faithful unite themselves with the sacrifice of Christ in the Paschal Mystery. The word Eucharist, which comes from the Greek “eucharistia,” means “thanksgiving.” Therefore, for Catholics, Thanksgiving is not a holiday that we celebrate only once a year, but it is a daily occurrence. For whenever we partake in the celebration of the Mass, we are giving God thanks.
In my experience as a millennial who has been involved with pastoral ministry, I’ve seen a myriad of examples where our faith has been celebrated in so many ways that we can take for granted every day.
Take a parish in a rural town on Kauai where I had the blessing of meeting a permanent deacon who was able to eloquently explain the church’s teachings on the True Presence of the Eucharist to middle schoolers on retreat, occasionally using pidgin English so that the youth would better understand the significance of the sacrament.
There’s a parish in urban Honolulu where the communal theme of Eucharist binds that parish community together so cohesively that there is an potluck fellowship after every weekend Mass.
There are our diocesan liturgical celebrations, such as ordinations, the Chrism Mass, and other major liturgical feasts, where the diverse and varied cultural traditions of our diocesan ohana are carefully interwoven into our liturgical prayer and ritual. As someone who has traveled throughout the world, I see that our islands are truly blessed. One would be hard-pressed to find a local diocesan church as unique and special as ours.
In addition to the many blessings that we will be praising God for on Thanksgiving Day, I’d like to suggest three things that Island Catholics can be especially thankful for this Thanksgiving, and also every day:
Living here in Hawaii: Like many parishes in the state, my home parish has its share of tourists who come on a daily basis to pray and worship. When I greet them, a common observation they make is, “You are so blessed to live here and call this parish your home!” I think it’s safe to say that many of us locals often forget that we live in such a beautiful state, with the faithful, whose gifts bring much to offer.
Our dedicated clergy and pastoral workers: Whenever you see your parish priest, deacon or pastoral staff members, thank them. Sometimes, parish work can be thankless, and the sacrifices and hard work that our clergy and pastoral workers put into leading our communities in prayer and being there for parishioners in time of need often go unnoticed, and rarely recognized.
Young people: Earlier this year, Pope Francis met with young people at the Eleventh International Youth Forum and told them: “You are the today of God, the today of the Church. The Church needs you, so that she can be fully herself.” We are blessed with many young people throughout the diocese who are authentically living out their faith, and who are stepping up to the plate to serve their parish communities. Although many have left the church recently, we have much hope in our young people as they work to revitalize their parish communities.
I think this reflection on gratitude and the Thanksgiving holiday can be best concluded with a quote from the German theologian, Meister Eckhart, who said: “If the only prayer you said in your entire life is thank you, that would be enough.” Hauoli La Hoomaikai to you and your loved ones.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Anthony Selvanathan holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Chaminade University of Honolulu, as well as a master’s degree in theology and a master’s of business administration, both from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. At his home parish, the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, he has served in pastoral ministry and as an episcopal master of ceremonies. Selvanathan currently lives in San Antonio where he works as an analyst for a major financial institution.
