We give You thanks

Today we celebrated our annual Thanksgiving liturgy.  In addition to our students and faculty, many family members and alumni joined us for the celebration.  Father John Bucchino, OFM, the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Manchester presided (his homily will be posted as a podcast later today on our school's website).  Our choir, as always, did a beautiful job leading us in prayer and our students were amazing and prayerful.

It was the final time we had Mass at Trinity with the current edition of the Roman Missal (the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal goes into effect this weekend).  To mark this occasion, I inscribed the following in the Sacramentary (the missal the priest uses):

The final Mass celebrated at Trinity High School with this edition of the Roman Missal was on November 23, 2011, the Thanksgiving Mass.  

Celebrant: Rev. John Bucchino, OFM - Pastor, Blessed Sacrament Parish

Father John then signed his name under the inscription.  We will bury the Sacramentary on the school grounds sometime in the future.

Following Communion, I offered the following reflection:

Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, we gather together with our families around a table to give thanks to God, to share in a meal, and to listen to family lore.  It is very similar, if you think about it, to what we just experienced as a school community.  We gathered together around this table, the altar of the Lord to give thanks, to listen to the Word of God and to share in the greatest meal known to man- the Eucharist (which literally means Thanksgiving).

Today as we prepare to go our separate ways for our Thanksgiving Break, we should all be very thankful to God for the blessings He has bestowed upon Trinity High School.  Despite being a small school of about 420 students:

• Our football team is state champs - again 
• You and St. Joe’s donated close to 500 Thanksgiving baskets for the needy in Manchester
• Our Robotics team competes with the best
• Our drama club puts on amazing shows
• Our choir blows the roof off this gym Mass after Mass

I have asked it a thousand times...why are so many amazing things taking place here at Trinity High School?  What is God calling us to do?  What does the future hold for this place?  

None of us know all the answers to these questions but we do know who to thank.  Thank you Lord for these students who are beyond compare.  Thank you Lord for our selfless faculty who give so much of themselves day after day.  Thank you Lord for the sacrifices our families make to send our students here.  Thank you Lord for our alumni and friends whose love and support keeps us going.

Father, we have neither silver or gold to give You in exchange for Your many blessings.  We simply can offer You our thanks and ask that You continue to watch over us so that we may continue the work begun by Your Son, all with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.