This past summer was an especially warm one. We haven’t seen this kind of warmth for a long time ... and so we give thanks to God for the sunshine and the warmth of the summer that has resulted in abundant harvests. We also witnessed one of the most active forest fire seasons in recent memory, so we give thanks for the efforts of all those who were involved in various efforts to keep us safe.
Gratitude is a theme that also appears in the scriptures. The Book of Genesis reminds us today of the very beginnings of our history, a time when God was creating the world. Even then, God loved all that was being created; even then, God was concerned for our wellbeing. Did you know that there are two creation accounts in the bible? The first one (Genesis 1) describes God creating all the elements of nature – light, darkness, dry land, seas and oceans, vegetation, sea creatures and land animals ... and then human beings. The second account (Genesis 2) is the one that we have heard today. In this account, human beings are created first, and then out of the ground, the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air (Gn 2:19) and God went even further. As these creatures were being created, God brought them to the man to see what he would call them. This is an amazing image: God wanted us to be part of the process of creation! But even that wasn’t enough. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field: but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner (Gn 2:20). God knew, even at the beginning of creation, that each one of us needed a companion to share our journey through life, and this is true even today. Each one of us needs at least one other person with whom to share the joys and the struggles of life. Sometimes, that person is a husband or a wife, sometimes that person is a friend, or a helper who appears in our lives precisely at the moment when we are in need.
Jesus understood his Father’s love and concern for us, but he was also aware of the ways that some people have tried to twist the truth in order to promote their own self-importance. When the Pharisees asked him to clarify one of the teachings that had been handed down from Moses – one of the most venerated human being in the history of the Jewish people – Jesus turned the question back on them, and explained that from the very beginning, God made human beings male and female (Mk 10:6). Then he went on to explain: For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife ... they shall no longer be two, but one (Mk 10:7-8).
As we gather to give thanks, let the festivities of this weekend also include a prayer of thanks for the companions that the Lord has placed upon our paths: for those who help to lighten the load when we are struggling and for those who are present to share the joy of happier moments too.
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