THANKSGIVING
Daniel,
Chapter 6, Verse 27-28
27 I decree that
throughout my royal domain the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared: “For he is the
living God, enduring forever, whose kingdom shall not be destroyed, whose
dominion shall be without end, 28 A savior and deliverer, working
signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who saved Daniel from the lions’
power.”
This is the summation of the story of Daniel in the
lion’s den. In this chapter Daniel is a type of Christ like figure. He is
falsely accused by those who are jealous of him. They use legal tricks to
entrap Daniel and have him condemned to the lion’s den. He is even put inside;
the den is sealed over with a giant boulder, thus mirroring Christ’s tomb. In
the end Daniel is not eaten by the lions but those who conspired against him
are thrown into the lions and eaten. The story reflects the glory of Christ’s
victory over Satan and the demons.
Daniel when presented with a law that opposed the laws
of God had to decide whether he would submit or stay true to his convictions.
He chose his life principles. He likely followed the principles of:
1.
Weighting
out the options before you decide.
2.
Ask
if those choices force you to compromise personal values.
3.
Seek
wise counsel.
4.
Count
the cost.
5.
Decide
based on principles.
6.
Act
on your decision swiftly and firmly.
Daniel maintained a set of values and principles that
enabled him to make decisions quickly and confidently. If you take too much
time making decisions often it is too late to act. Do not wait to survey the
pulse of your people and paralyze your organization. Do the right thing!
Let
us be Thankful
Thanksgiving
Day[2]Thanksgiving Day is a celebration of giving thanks for the harvest and blessings of the past year. It is a day of giving thanks to God for his many blessings and expressing our gratitude to friends and family members. It is celebrated in the United States. Thanksgiving Day dates back to the Reformation Period and is accompanied by prayers, special ceremonies, and feasts. Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday in November each year.
Thanksgiving Day Facts & Quotes
·
The
first Thanksgiving Day feast was held in 1621 between the Plymouth colonists
and the Wampanoag Indians.
·
In
1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a
national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
·
According
to the US Government Census, in 2014, 242 million turkeys were raised in the
United States.
·
President
Franklin D. Roosevelt established the fourth Thursday in November as the official
Thanksgiving Day in 1941.
·
Thanksgiving
is almost here. It's my favorite holiday, which is surprising since I'm
no fan of giving or saying thanks. - Stephen Colbert
Thanksgiving Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Watch
or attend a Parade. The largest are the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in
New York and the McDonalds Thanksgiving parade in Chicago.
·
Eat
lots of traditional Thanksgiving food including turkey, cranberry sauce and
sweet potatoes.
·
Watch
or attend a football game. Besides NFL, there are many college and high
school football games on this day.
·
Go
running or do some other form of exercise in the morning - so you won't feel so
guilty indulging a grand Thanksgiving meal.
·
Talk
to relatives and friends by phone, email, or internet to remind them how
thankful you are that they are all part of your life.
At
Plimoth Plantation, it’s always 1627. The living museum and its costumed
“residents” re-create New England’s first successful European settlement as
well as a Native village. Thanksgiving dinner has its roots in a harvest
celebration that 52 Pilgrims shared with 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe in
1621, one year after the settlers sailed from England. It included fowl
(probably ducks and geese rather than turkey), venison, corn, and most likely
fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. Every fall Plimoth Plantation re-creates
a harvest meal from that period as well as serving a classic American
Thanksgiving dinner.
Men have not only prayed in thanksgiving but have offered in thanksgiving: something that was a sign of themselves, to show they were thankful for life, were sorry for their sins against the Giver of life, would give their lives in return, if they might, to the One they owe so much. They made offerings in thanks for the things that sustain life, for the preservation of life. "Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat.”. . "So Noe went out, he and his sons, his wife and the wives of his sons... . all living things went out of the ark. And Noe built an altar unto the Lord: and taking of all cattle and fowl that were dean, offered holocausts upon the altar.... ." They made bloody offerings, because the offering is a symbol of the offerer, and blood is the essence of life. Blood is life. There were other offerings... . . "Melchidesech, the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God, blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth.”. . . Because bread maintains life, and wine enhances life. God told them what to sacrifice, and how to sacrifice; but especially He told them to make the sacrifice of the Pasch, because it was a memorial to their freedom and their protection, a memorial of thanksgiving to the God who loved them. ". . . and it shall be a lamb without blemish, a male, one year. . . and the whole multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it in the evening.”. . . "And this day shall be a memorial unto you: and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord. . . for with a strong hand the Lord hath brought you out of this place." He brought them through water, led them by fire, fed them with manna, and when they sinned against Him, He chastised them and accepted their sacrifices of expiation. He made it part of their Law, their Covenant, that they were to offer sacrifice: of reparation, of petition, of praise, of thanksgiving.
Then Christ came.
When it was time for the thing to happen for which He came, He said to the Apostles: "This is My body, which is being given for you; do this, in remembrance of Me." And He said: "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which shall be shed for you." This was the new covenant, the new Pasch. . . "in My blood," He said. From that moment on they were to make sacrifice "in My blood." The offering is a symbol of the offerer. Blood is the essence of life. This is our gift to offer: His Body and Blood, every day. Think of all the things the Redemption accomplished, and do not forget this last: to put into our hands the perfect Gift, the pure Victim — "holy and spotless, the holy bread of everlasting life and the chalice of everlasting salvation." With the sacrifice of Holy Mass, Catholics make their thanksgiving.
French Toast Day[5]
There’s a
blend that just makes our morning fantastic, and it’s a blending of eggs, milk,
and cinnamon with bread dipped in. There’s something about the savory sweet
smell of it, and the anticipation of having it painted with butter and drizzled
with syrup, with a side of breakfast sausage and a tall glass of orange juice
that’ll get us out of bed on even the worst of days. French Toast Day is
honoring this amazing breakfast delight and encourages you to enjoy it for breakfast
with a few friends. The breakfast favorite French toast goes by many names
depending on where it’s being served up – eggy bread, German toast, poor
knights’ pudding, Bombay toast – but it’s always made of the same key
ingredients. Egg, milk – or cream – and bread. This delicious sweet snack is
often served with sugar or syrup and fruit and consists of bread slices fried
in a mixture of milk and egg. In France, its name is ‘pain perdu’, which
literally means ‘lost bread’, because it would often be made with stale or old
bread. Although we tend to call it French Bread, the dish isn’t known to have
come from France. Some ancient Latin recipes from the 4th century mention
soaking bread in milk before frying, and in fourteenth Century Germany the term
‘poor knights’ pudding’ was coined for the sweet treat because it was seen as
an affordable meal for those without too much money to spend. Today, it’s eaten
across the world as a breakfast meal or a sweet snack. In Italy, there’s a
savory version, called ‘mozzarella en carrozza’, which sees the egg-soaked
bread sandwiching slices of mozzarella cheese before it is fried. Its name
literally means ‘mozzarella in a carriage’. So you can have eggy bread for your
main meal, and your pudding!
How to Celebrate French
Toast Day
So how can
you celebrate French Toast Day? If you’ve got any stale bread in the kitchen,
this is a great way to use it up. The recipe tends to call for bread that’s at
least a day old because older slices will be able to soak up the tasty egg and
milk mixture without falling apart. Then, once you’ve fried it up, you can
slather on as much jam, syrup, fruit or honey as you like. If you’re feeling
extra indulgent, why not pop a swirl of cream on top?
Daily Devotions
ü I plan to attend Mass daily or via EWTN or the internet
ü Mediate on the virtues of Mary (Humility, Generosity, Chastity, Patience,
Temperance, Understanding/love and Wisdom. One for each day.
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