A day of gratitude or mourning?

A day of gratitude or mourning?: Last December 16, we marked the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrims' disembarking in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and this year we celebrate the quatercentenary of the first Thanksgiving feast. 

But as this article in the Pilot tells us, the Wamponoags won't be celebrating.  I think it's a shame; we need to celebrate our survival.  But the native Americans feel they can't celebrate the Pilgrims' survival.  With the arrival of the Pilgrims came the beginning of their genocide.  

But if the Pilgrims didn't come, do you think the American Indians could have lived as they were, indefinitely?  Sooner or later, someone else would have come and done worse.  

What happened to the American natives is a tragedy.  History is overburdened with tragic stories.  

“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
-- Desmond Tutu

Move on.  Moving on doesn't mean you forget.  Learn from what happened.  Don't let it happen again.  Nurturing injustice just grows bitter resentment that hinders your success.  In fact, you are hurting yourself.  Focus on the future.  Make the world better than before.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

I know it's not yet Halloween, never mind November, but I'm in a thanksgiving kind of mood.  It happens this time of year because I'm reminded to celebrate food, and smells, and happy children.  I'm very grateful for everything the season has to offer.  These are some of the things that come to mind.

Starting with my husband of fifty years. That's an amazing amount of time.  It's been an adventure but we've somehow managed to land on our feet, still facing each other. 

Also on the top of my list are my three children, whom I love more than my life.  they are good, happy people, who have grown into independent and contributing members of society.  Isn't that the aim of all parents?  Dick and I are truly blessed.

I also put my friends on my list.  Friends are like family, and in certain circumstances better than family.  We've been to places, and been in trouble, and been in serene sanctuaries, but most of all we've come through closer than ever, and are still friends. 

I'm so thankful for everything and I realize it's all due to the grace of God, because I've done nothing to deserve my blessings, which by-the-way, is what I consider proof of a benevolent God. I certainly do not deserve God's largess, but somehow I've been graced.  

And I thank God, now, and every day, especially on Thanksgiving.

Happy Eucharistia!

Pilgrim Monument in P'town

I want to thank God on this secular feast of Thanksgiving for the food my loved ones will eat today.  Most of all I want to thank God for the gift of the Mass, where we participate in the eternal thanksgiving.

Do you think my family will know what I'm talking about, if I use the above as the blessing before our meal?

Do you think they'll charge in and start eating before I even say the grace?




God bless everyone, anyway.

Thanks Sarah Josepha Hale

This is a repost from November 2012, because Sarah Josepha Hale deserves recognition.  Keep reading.

Although we in New England have been celebrating Thanksgiving since 1621, not every in the country did.  In fact, I remember when I was in Virginia, I heard that in 1607 Jamestown celebrated a Thanksgiving.  And in Florida, the Spanish had Masses of Thanksgiving in the sixteenth century!

But the national holiday wasn't proclaimed a holiday until Abraham Lincoln made the proclamation.  And he did so, because of Sarah Josepha Hale.  She had been writing letters to presidents, since Zachary Taylor, suggesting the proclamation.  You know Sara Josepha Hala, she wrote the nursery rhyme, Mary had a Little Lamb.

The True Thanksgiving

Canis, Cappa, and Brother Tonto

Hale for Thanksgiving

Although we in New England have been celebrating Thanksgiving since 1621, not every in the country did.  In fact, I remember when I was in Virginia, I heard that in 1607 Jamestown celebrated a Thanksgiving.  And in Florida, the Spanish had Masses of Thanksgiving in the sixteenth century!

But the national holiday wasn't proclaimed a holiday until Abraham Lincoln made the proclamation.  And he did so, because of Sarah Josepha Hale.  She had been writing letters to presidents, since Zachary Taylor, suggesting the proclamation.  You know Sara Josepha Hala, she wrote the nursery rhyme, Mary had a Little Lamb.

Turducken

It's Thanksgiving. Did you ever hear of a Turducken? It's a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey.

There are many stories regarding its origen, but it does seem to originate from the south. It's made by deboning the three kinds of fowl. Lay them out flat. You stuff the turkey with pork stuffing. Then you place the duck over the stuffing. The duck is open so that you can stuff more pork stuffing on the center of the duck. Finally, you take the chicken, spread it out over the suffing of the duck. Stuff the chicken with cornmeal stuffing. Then wrap the whole thing up and sew it secure. Bake.

When it's done you cut it right down the middle to open it up and see the many different layers. It seems that this is not so unusual--to stuff a bird inside a bird. Medieval cookbooks have recipes of birds stuffed with birds and other animals.

Hungry yet?

Cronkhite Canada Syndrome

Today is Thanksgiving and like last year, I am just so very, very grateful to be alive. Not so long ago, I almost wasted away in my own sh**. It was disgusting. I had diarrhea for months. I lost 58 pounds in just one month. I lost all my hair--everywhere--not only on my head, but no eyelashes, or anything. I lost all nails--fingers and toes. I was so weak. My voice sounded like I was 100 years old. I was a mess. Worst of all, I almost lost my faith. A terrible coldness came over me. That's the only way I can describe it. Cold, dark, lonely thoughts oppressed my soul. I couldn't shake it away. The prognosis wasn't good. Since the disease is an late adult onset disease, it is not unusual for old people to die from it. I was afraid that there was no God, not because He didn't cure me, but because He wasn't with me. I doubted that He was there, or ever was. I tried to write my thoughts down, but it didn't really express my feelings. This is the best I could do.

Shackled in chains blurred by ennui
My world is my bed
sometimes the couch.

Hovering or
floundering
between death and
wishing for death.

Sleep wasn't easy,
but dreams abounded.
Praying wasn't easy,
but dreams abounded.

Shouldn't there by
a difference
between Jesus
and Zeus and Mars?

How would you know?
Same result.

Shouldn't there be
feelings of comfort,
assurance from angels,*
warmth from a Presence?

Worm that I am,
crawling in sin,
not worthy to be
heard nor loved.

Surely no one
is righteous to You?**

You are there.
You are there.
If repeating
makes it true,

You are there.
You are there.

There or not--
same result.

How do I know?
How do I know?

Same result.

Beyond human
understanding.

Silence.

Lord, help my unbelief. ***

*Luke 22:43 **Psalm 143:2 ***Mark9:23

First published in The Map of Life, Poetry from the Third Annual OPrize for Poetry, ed. Robert Curtis, Dominicus Books, Inc., 2007.

Turkey Stuffing

It's done. The stuffing is the hardest part. It's my mother's recipe, that she spiced up from my French Canadian grandmother. My mother's first generation Lithuanian. Her mother didn't really have a good stuffing recipe. When she married my father Mama's cooking skills greatly improved due to her French Canadian mother-in-law. Mama took Grandma's stuffing recipe, which is really a pate, and doctored it up. It consists of ground pork, bread crumbs and spices. The secret is really the addition of cinnamon. It sweetens the meat.
Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without this stuffing.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Tonight I went to an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. It involved the Federated Church, the First Universalist Society, Temple Etz Chaim, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and of course, us Catholics. The choir included members from all the faiths. I was touched by the fact that here we were, from diverse faiths, worshipping together. It was nice. The service was hosted by the Federated Church and they did a good job. There was a little colation after that was good.
The best part was a young man who played a Nardini Violin Concerto. He was very talented. His name is Ton Lazinski and he was from the First Universalist Society.
Actually, that wasn't the best part. The best part was when the minister of the host church, the Federated Church, the Reverend Vicki Hammel quoted Meister Eckhart. :-)
Rev. Vicki said that Meister Eckhart said that sometimes the best prayer is simply to say "Thank you."
What a way to end--quoting a Dominican. I loved it.