“The national Thanksgiving holiday is a welcome occasion to announce, ahead of time, together with the angels, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill among men (Luke 2:14),” noted His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of the Americas in his Thanksgiving message.
“Our reflection ought to be complete through thanksgiving. We thank God for his favors showered on the ancestors, but also on us, when we gather as a family for this celebration.”
“Gratitude is the fulfillment of history. The man who gives thanks to God recognizes himself as God’s creation, and shows himself redeemed, as the one who received God’s gift and returns it to God and to his fellow men with gratitude,” Metropolitan Nicolae added.
“We Orthodox know that this gratitude is evident in the Divine Liturgy when the gifts of bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of the Savior and are offered back to the faithful for eternal life.”
“So, our thanksgiving to God not only refers to creation and providence but also to eternity, to our life in the Kingdom together with Christ, His Mother and all the saints!” concluded the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas.
Thanksgiving’s Historical Roots
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States and Canada. It was established in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, though it had been celebrated for over two centuries. Its origins lie in a shared feast between New England colonists and the Native American Wampanoag people.
A Call to Charity
This month, Metropolitan Nicolae also urged the faithful, on behalf of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States, to engage in acts of charity.
Photo: Putna Monastery
