Dearly Beloved,

On Thanksgiving Day across our nation, families and friends will gather for this annual historic celebration. Hours of travel, preparation, and anticipation will culminate at the dinner table and, for just a few minutes, all will bow their heads, thanking the Most High God for the generous gifts that He bestows upon us (James 1:17), not just on that day but every day of our lives. Knowing and recognizing God as our ultimate Benefactor offers us the possibility for transforming our life into a continual act of thanksgiving. Saint Basil the Great once wrote, “Recognize your Benefactor! Consider yourself, who you are, what resources have been entrusted to you, from whom you received them, and why you received more than others.”We have so much to be thankful for: our lives, our families, the material goods that surround us, and the freedom we enjoy as citizens of the blessed country. We can and should thank God daily for His many gifts, not only on one Thursday in November. In our parishes we have the Divine Liturgy, which is our supreme offering of thanks to the Almighty God.

There is also a reality that this feast should remind us about and challenge us to act. In our great land, 46 million of our fellow citizens rely on food pantries and meal services to feed themselves and their families. Nearly 18 million of our fellow citizens experience limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Seven million of them often go hungry, skipping meals, because they do not have food to eat in their homes. You might dismiss these people as lazy or someone “looking for a handout”. This, no doubt, is true in some instances, but the poor in America are even more likely to be military families or senior citizens, living on very meager incomes.

Greek Orthodox Christians enjoy pointing out that they are among the wealthiest groups in America. This places a special responsibility upon us, especially on days such as Thanksgiving, to give back to the community that has given us so much. Hunger in America can be such a cause for today’s society. As we read in the Psalms, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:9).

On this Thanksgiving holiday, share the bounty of your table with those who live with far less. Open your homes to them; take food to them; donate to the food banks; volunteer in their kitchens. Our great material success should motivate us to become great in philanthropy.

Finally, I wish you and your beloved families a most blessed Thanksgiving holiday, full of His Grace and Mercy. May His love for us all inspire us to transmit to others the gifts He has bestowed upon us.

With Love in Christ,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisco