Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Tis the week of preparation for the great feast of Thanksgiving. How I love the fragrances of the various spices and herbs, the smell of pies baking, and of all those familiar, savory ingredients! So many sensual delights contribute to this beloved ritual. As I make these preparations, I think those who will sit at my table on Thursday evening. I am reminded of – and grateful for – the fact that God allows me the privilege of showing them love by feeding them.  My heart also gravitates toward those who will be missing. Esther Sullivan, my mother, gone ahead to be with God. Thomas Sullivan, my father, who is unable to make the trip because of his frail health. Phil, my dear brother, who lives in North Carolina. All my siblings who will feast far from me with families of their own.

As I work with my hands to prepare food, I think of the hungry. People who are starving right here in my neighborhood, in my home city of Hayward, and in all the neighboring cities. The poor, the homeless, the unemployed.  Those who are alone. So many will go hungry today.  They too are family, and a part of our shared, shameful reality.  It’s a reality that unfolds every day in far too many neglected regions throughout this land of abundance. Feeding our loved ones is a joyous pleasure, but that is the easy part. As the mustard seed of our faith grows, let us remember to use our spreading branches to welcome the stranger, the estranged, the forsaken. Let this be a week for pledging ourselves to the service of those in need – not only on Thanksgiving Day, but every day. Let our humble generosity bring true nourishment to hungry, that they may be encouraged by the steadfast love of God, whose mercy endures forever.