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Running on Faith: Happy Thanksgiving!

Love cannot"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything God has given us—and God has given us everything. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. The grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience."

I was reflecting on these words by Thomas Merton last Friday while praying night prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, and they have lingered on my mind. As with every other aspect of life in 2020, we know that this Thanksgiving will be different from previous years. The family, friends, activities and things that we are most grateful for are the very people and things that many of us will be missing due to the necessity of keeping each other and our communities safe and healthy throughout the holiday season. For my part—in addition to a large family gathering at my parents’ home in the late afternoon—Thanksgiving in Manchester brings with it the largest gathering of people from the community, and from around the globe, for the annual Thanksgiving Day Road Race. It’s the biggest thing that happens in our town, with 15,000 runners, para-athletes, joggers and walkers— elite athletes and people wearing costumes. There are thousands of spectators, along with bands playing music from every genre (bagpipes, polka and punk rock, to name just a few) and tailgaters and revelers on sidewalks and rooftops lining the course, cheering or jeering us on. There are people from every part of my life who I see only on race-day, whether during the pre-race warm up, in the starting box, along the course, at our post-race tailgate, or in the final round at one of the pubs on Main Street.

This year, the race will be a virtual one; and of course, it won’t be the same—nor will my family’s small, semi-remote Thanksgiving meal.

But here’s the thing: As we have experienced throughout this year, along with the necessary lamentation of those things that we are missing, I am pretty confident that we will find ways to celebrate and honor the many blessings that we have received and experienced even throughout this time of pandemic. Here at STM, we have reimagined the way that we minister, encounter and build up the Body of Christ. All of us have had to reimagine and be creative about finding ways to be present, encouraging and loving to one another, albeit from a distance and in the virtual realm. And overall, I think we’ve all done a pretty good job. Because coming together is that important, and even sacred. Why? Because love knows no limits. We have been reminded again and again that love cannot be held back by Zoom fatigue or social distancing.

So for this unique Thanksgiving—let’s be grateful—because we are a Eucharistic people, which means that by our very nature we are a people of thanksgiving. Let’s not take anything for granted and let’s “be awakened to new wonder and praise of the goodness of God”—because along with the crosses and privations (and perhaps because we have them) we have experienced God’s goodness and love in each other and in the many blessings that this year has brought.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. STM will be participating in Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, December 1st. Be sure to check out STM's social media channels for student stories and opportunities to participate in keeping campus ministry at Yale thriving!

 

For the month of December, Running on Faith will move to Fridays and focus on the Advent readings for the day.

Fr. Ryan Lerner, Chaplain

Fr. Ryan Lerner, Chaplain

Fr. Ryan Lerner is Yale's 8th Catholic Chaplain.