REJOICING IN GOD’S BLESSINGS

                As we near the end of November not only do we conclude another month, but we conclude our Church Liturgical Year and we conclude our harvest season by giving thanks to God for our blessings.

                We have just celebrated Thanksgiving Day by gathering with friends and family to feast on the rich bounty of the harvest season. We give thanks to God and our friends and family not only for the food we eat, but also for the many other gifts and blessings we have enjoyed throughout the year.

                Our final feast of this liturgical year is the Feast of Christ the King. It was begun in 1925 by Pope Pius XI to conclude one liturgical year and to prepare us for a new one which begins next week with the First Sunday of Advent.

                All of these are tied together. Christ’s kingship is to be fulfilled at the end time and cannot be separated from the idea of last things. Thanksgiving reminds us that the growing season for this year is ended and we celebrate with a harvest of rich foods. In Advent we spend time preparing for the coming of Christ.

                In a way the Feast of Christ the King is a time for looking back and giving thanks. It is also a time of looking forward to what is to come and praying for God’s renewed blessings.