A Thanksgiving message from our Provincial Director Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, C.PP.S.
Jesus is the central figure in the New Testament, of course. But sometimes it is the people whom we might think of as the supporting cast in the Scriptures, people who often are not even named, who add context to Jesus’ story. Through their very human reaction to Jesus, his words and actions, we can see ourselves in the Gospel stories. The grateful leper, the widow with her mite, the repentant thief, crucified alongside Jesus. The magi, the woman at the well, the man healed of blindness.
In our own lives, too, we encounter many people. Some might give us something to think about or change our outlook, even if we never learn their names. Others, our friends, neighbors and family members, have a profound influence on us.
On this day, I give thanks for the people God has placed in my life. Each of them is there for a reason and I am to learn from them, or help them learn. I too am part of the supporting cast—you might say a bit player—in the lives of many people. We all are.
Let us thank God for the people who support us, the people who challenge us, the people who teach us, and those we are to teach. Through this web of humanity, we can better understand Jesus’ mission to bring all people near through his Precious Blood. We never really meet anyone purely by accident—so we thank God today for all the people we meet. Every single one of whom is God’s beloved son or daughter.