Ok Halloween, move over...It's Christ...no it's Thanksgiving (November 28, 2024). Rewind a few months and I was genuinely knee deep in setting up Christmas decorations (not at home though ;)). Every year it seems, like clockwork, that as soon as the last trick-or-treater leaves the porch, sleigh bells come rushing in. I have a difficult relationship with this time of of year for several reasons which will be explored in a post at some point, but moving on. It seems like all Thanksgiving gets credit for is a big meal and, in my family, the infamous (ok maybe not every year) Detroit Lions football game against whatever city happens to fall (no pun intended) in their schedule that day. Quite frankly Black FriDAY has become more like black Fri-week or black fri-two weeks (trust me I'm in retail lol). But, I believe Thanksgiving should be given much more than a passing glance.
While I believe, the historical context of Thanksgiving should be noted, I don't believe that's really the most important thing to focus on. Though, it is true the deeper meaning of the Holiday is imbedded within the historical narrative of the "first thanksgiving". I am currently in the midst of reading a book about the infamous ship, The Mayflower, on which the Pilgrims, including my ancestor, Richard Warren, traversed the high seas to arrive at the equally as infamous Plymouth colony in Massachusetts; This book, and I have yet to reach the Thanksgiving narrative, opens my eyes to just how pivotal the first Thanksgiving must have been. I hope I'm not mistaken in this event being joyful after the Pilgrims lost a majority of their number within months of setting foot on American soil. To me, even before the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims were already grateful, simply to live another day, as their first winter in the Americas wiped out, as note previously so many of their number. That's the key to this holiday: gratitude.
Now, it's interesting being a Catholic because the climax of the Mass is all about gratitude. At first this may seem to be a strange statement because the Eucharistic part of Mass is a representation of Calvary, which is a sacrifice or rather the one everlasting sacrifice of Christ, but here a little ente- oops, I meant etymology lesson, "Eucharist" means "Thanksgiving". Not only that, but on the Cross Christ references pslam 23 which is a complete Todah psalm (not enough time to explain what that is), or a thanksgiving psalm. So, from the Cross Christ is emphasizing thanksgiving as essential, even amidst suffering. That is not to say suffering is easy, if it was, it would not be something many would try to avoid completely. Yet, suffering is what builds resilience and in the moment we may not like it or appreciate it, but at least, in my experience, maybe weeks, months, or even years later, and understanding comes and it is recognized without the suffering the person in the mirror wouldn't be the same. As the song "Bruises" by Ashley Monroe and Train says, "These bruises make for better conversation". Though of course, it is not good to dwell on the negative (I need to follow this advice more), this line has truth in it as if you desire a deep relationship, no matter the kind, your brokenness, even if has been overcome, must be shared with the person you are trying to form this bond with. The greatest bond someone can have, at least in the Catholic sense, is to be united with Christ in the Eucharist, where he is in you, and you can share all with him, the joys and sorrows, or just simply rest in the intimacy of his closeness. From this, I believe can, and should, create a deeper sense of gratitude for the sacrifice of Calvary which secured salvation for all (though all still have to cooperate with the grace of God). With all tat said, what else is there to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?
For me I can think of many, but I will only share three.
The Eastern Catholic Church
This year I am beyond grateful for the Eastern Catholic Church. The Eastern Catholic Church consists of 23 rites (or expressions of Catholicism in both spirituality and liturgy). I first experienced one of these rites at Franciscan, this particular one was the Byzantine rite (Greek); additionally, I also experienced the Maronite rite at Franciscan. I would say while I appreciate the Byzantine Rite, the Maronite Rite is the one I would say is my favorite. I would love to experience more Eastern liturgies (thanks to the Eucharistic Congress I was able to attend a Syro-Malabar liturgy). I want to explore the treasures of the Eastern Catholic Church as I grow deeper in my overall Catholic faith. Though I know some of their spirituality differs from that of the Western (Roman) Church, it is still fully Catholic. One of the few things I already know I love about the Eastern Church is that the Eucharist is received through intinction where the Body of Christ (the bread) is submerged in the Blood of Christ (the wine) before the communicant consumes it. There is a lot ot learn and I am ecstatic to learn it. Now, talking about faith, I have been blessed this past year to have found the community TradRecoery.
TradRecovery (I probably would have chosen a different name, but I did not create this community)
In my Coached by College series, I reflected on my experience in the group, Juventutem at Franciscan. At that time, I did not mention a revelation I had at the beginning of 2023 about my time in that group probably because in some ways it was still too raw, but whilst in Juventutem, whether intended or not (this one is more likely), I was spiritually abused. I knew I needed to unlearn a lot of what I'd been "taught" and the open door which God provided was an episode of the Catholic Talk Show with Fr. Eric Gilbaugh about the liturgy. This lead me to trying to find more content with this priest which led me to the channel MissHappyCatholic (which is run by one of the founders of TradRecovery) which then led me to TradRecovery. Almost a year ago now I first posted on the site, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. This community supports those who have been harmed by the Traditionalist Catholic movement. A majority of the members in this community are former Sedevacantists or formerly associated with The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and other groups which promote the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), which is the form of the mass celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council. Some of these are schismatic groups (Sedecavantists, for example, believe the office of the Pope is empty, and has been since Pope Pius XII died), while some like the Fraternal Society of St Peter (FSSP) are canonically approved, but aren't free of problems. While attachment to the TLM is not abhorrent, certain people who have an attachment tend to show skepticism or outright rejection of events, often importantly, and primarily the Second Vatican Council. This group has taught me that my experience isn't an anomaly, but quite common in TLM circles. It has brought a new perspective to my world, while it's hard not to compare my story to some who grew up in these circles, I have greatly appreciated seeing the resilience of these individuals. Though this isn't the only place where solace is found while I grapple with the complexity of moving forward and healing from that experience TradRecovery certainly has provided a space to consider the different "endings" this story of healing could have. Talking about healing, the final thing I am abundantly grateful for this year is therapy.
Therapy
Now, I have been in and out of therapy for almost 10 years, but the last several years have been some of the most significant in terms of "needing" therapy. Of course, there is the issue of Juventutem, but as I was beginning to process that experience, generally, I entered into my first relationship; while the benefit of hindsight, I fully admit I rushed into the relationship, I could not have guessed the first two and a half months (almost 3) of 2023 would be some of the most tumultuous of my life. Perhaps a bit coincidental, but it was because of being in therapy through the counseling center that I was alerted to the abusive dynamic in the relationship. Therapy this past year has allowed several revelations to come to light such as what was really the most hurtful part of my first relationship.
This year began a new chapter in my therapy experience: group therapy. While certainly group has helped in processing my past, it has also opened the door to help me to address some recurrent tendencies that I have, as of yet, not be able to fully change, such as dominating conversations. My first three months in group have given me the room to receive perspectives on life, I would not have had otherwise. I have come to appreciate the ebb and flow of the makeup of the group as the number of people in this group has changed twice now. I have seen growth in myself, I don't know if I would have seen, had I not joined group. Ultimately, whether it be individual or group, I would like to eventually get to a point where, I have another extended break from therapy as I believe was happening in the early days of 2020, before the world collapsed and went dormant for 3 months. For however long I remain though I am thankful for how I am being formed into the woman God made me to be through it.
I hope all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. So much is made of looking forward to the joy of Christmas, but it is always wise to pause and reflect on what each one has to be grateful for. So, to close I'd like to say is what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
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