This is the Feast

We will soon gather for the annual Thanksgiving Feast. Now there's a phrase that has sort of lost it's meaning. Not only has Thanksgiving become more about vacation than giving thanks, it is no longer understood as a feast, at least not in the traditional sense. For the last two-thousand years, feast days have had religious meaning. Christians, especially have tended to tie remembrance to the practice of sharing in a meal. In addition to being a happy and practical means of celebration, this also served as an opportunity for teaching the young--again, usually something meaningful about God or some religious conviction.

Christians, of course, did not come up with this idea. The Jews were doing this long before the coming of Jesus and pagans held similar feasts to celebrate their own religious holidays--which were often tied to season events such as planting and harvest. What Christians did do was familiarize the practice. That is, the Church made these practices more common. The most obvious example of this is through the feasts of the saints. The Holy Eucharist of Lord's Supper is celebrated regularly within the life of the Church.

At Saint Francis we celebrate the Eucharist weekly but the truth is that somewhere in the world, at any given time on any given day, the Church is breaking bread in honor of the Lord's sacrificial death. It is important to remember that the Church is One. So even though we may be not be participating personally in the feast, we are still tied to it's observance. I had a professor who used to say that if the Church ever ceased this practice, God would destroy the world. While I am not sure about that, I do find it compelling that at any given moment in time some body of the faithful are reciting the words of the Holy Eucharist.

So what exactly is happening here? The practice is first about the holy commandment of the Lord, "Do This In Remembrance of Me." But in some traditions, it is also an opportunity to teach the faith by retelling the story--not only of Jesus but also of the faithful men and women who have sought to follow him down through the ages. So, for example, in the Catholic tradition, the regular observance of the Mass might be called "The Feast of St. Francis" or "The Feast of St. Anthony." The options are rather surprising. If you have never seen it, the list will likely shock you. See http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/nov.php

Protestant Christians might find this a bit overdone. And sometimes we hear the suspicion... --so many feast days for so many different people... celebrating The Lord's Supper over and over... reciting those same words... doesn't that make it lose it's meaning?

But of course it is more than mere words and recitation, isn't it? The prayer of the Holy Eucharist is, after all, called "The Great Thanksgiving." It is a remembrance and celebration of what God has done, is doing and will do in Jesus Christ. It is an act of Thanksgiving in the truest sense--which is an opportunity for us to re-posture our lives. It is a chance to reorient ourselves toward God and neighbor. To give thanks is to be humble as well as grateful. It is to take time to celebrate the good blessings of life and to make room for others who God also blesses and desires to bless. How can something like this possibly be done too frequently?

As the nation takes time out for it's annual day of giving thanks, let us join them. May we share in the food and the fellowship and the time off work. May we joyfully laugh and enjoy the company of friends, family and others...

But let us also remember that such things are not to be reserved. God desires us to be humble, grateful and joyful each and every day. And God has made it so that we can be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwdZGPK6iTQ