Thanksgiving this year is quite special for me in at least two ways. First, this thanksgiving marks my fifth year of contributing to Magis reflections. I made my first contribution to the Magis reflections on the feast of Christ the King in 2014. Second, this is my first thanksgiving as a priest. So, I would like to do something a bit different in today’s reflection.
First, I would like to give thanks for the opportunity to contribute to Magis Spirituality. I made my first contribution when I was a Jesuit regent and now, I am a newly ordained priest. My journey in the last five years has been an amazing journey, and Magis reflection has helped me to become a better minister of the Word.
Second, I would like to give thanks to my priesthood. In his homily at my ordination earlier this summer, Bishop Alexander Sample said that our greatest joy is when we are able to celebrate the Eucharist. Indeed, my greatest joy is when I am able to celebrate the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. I am also grateful that I can bring different sacraments to the faithful such as the sacrament of holy confession and anointing of the sick.
Finally, I would like to give thanks to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for forgiving my sins. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for making me the person that I am as your priest.
How can I not be thankful to Jesus Christ? In the first reading today, we hear the continuation of the story of Daniel. God protected him when he was in the lion’s den. The foreign king who put Daniel into the lion’s den then had a conversion of heart as he proclaimed that God is the living God who endures forever. His Kingdom shall never be destroyed. His dominion has no end. If a foreign King like Darius can make a confession of faith like that, how can I not be thankful to Jesus Christ, my Lord and my savior. Above all, I am grateful to Jesus because my priesthood is centered on Jesus Christ. As a priest, I am just an instrument like the violin in the hands of a musician because Christ is the primary cause of grace. Christ is the musician who is playing the musical grace with His priests as an instrument. All glory, praise, and honor be to Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.