November 20, 2009
THANKSGIVING MESSAGE FROM HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS
Thanksgiving, 2009

My dearly beloved in the Lord,

“Glory to Thee for calling me into being
Glory to Thee, showing me the beauty of the universe
Glory to Thee, spreading out before me heaven and earth
Like the pages in a book of eternal wisdom
Glory to Thee for Thine eternity in this fleeting world
Glory to Thee for Thy mercies, seen and unseen
Glory to Thee through every sigh of my sorrow
Glory to Thee for every step of my life`s journey
For every moment of glory
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age.”
From the Akathist of Thanksgiving

With grateful joy, let us count our many blessings with the beautiful celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, that wonderful opportunity to take time from our busy lives to be grateful, to offer thanks to Almighty God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Too often we take God’s blessings for granted, and we forget that to give thanks to God and to others is a divine occasion – indeed giving thanks is an essential, but often overlooked, element of our life in Christ.

Sometimes we take for granted the love and care that we receive from parents, family and friends and think that it is just an ordinary part of life. Yet the spirit that beautifies and transforms ordinary expressions of affection does not come from the giver but from the recipient – one giving from the gifts that God bestows, and the other receiving with gratitude. Both then are part of the greater unity and love of the Holy Trinity.

For Orthodox Christians, the center of our worship in the Divine Liturgy, the Eucharist, (“thanksgiving”), is the prayer of consecration in which the bread and wine, fruits of the earth and of our labor, and themselves gifts from God, are offered back to Him in gratitude for all His abundant blessings. He consecrates and transforms and gives the bread and wine back to us as the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this way, we recognize, with thanksgiving, the reality that all things exist because God created them and continues to renew and restore His Creation.

As fellow citizens and descendants of our forefathers who built this great nation, we should be particularly zealous in thanking God, who gives the most important gift of all, the gift of life in Christ. Especially at Thanksgiving, while we enjoy all His gifts, we should not forget those who are in need, the sick, those who are in pain or suffering from illness of mind or body, the lonely, the bereaved and the homeless. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and with them we share our common humanity as children of the Heavenly Father.

As we prepare ourselves to celebrate Thanksgiving, may God’s goodness fill our lives and hearts. During this time of enduring hope, gratitude and appreciation, may you enjoy the all the blessings of health, peace and happiness on Thanksgiving with friends and loved ones. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving overflowing with God’s blessings, I remain

Paternally yours,
ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta