The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1912-11-28
Cause FOR THANKS
BISHOP e. n. HUGHES.


OF his holiness. Pisa. 1904.
II the spirit of gratitude is to be
awakened I'm the hearts OF those who
receive this Thanksgiving message, II
will be necessary that we think to-
gether OF some ground that is unmis-
takably common D all II Is prob
ably true that. II we wished to do
so, we could find reason for thankful
ness In the material side OF our lives;
for we have not been reduced to star
walton or nakedness or homelessness.
But without doubt there would be vast
differences among us In this respect.
Some OF US have walked with steady
feet up the ascent OF prosperity. 9th
ers OF US have slipped down the hill.
which we had before climbed toward
ease and independence.
From this you will see that II our
thankfulness Is TO be unanimous. IL
field must be above our differences In
situation and In opinion. Our graft
tude must go up toward him who II
the owner OF the earth. with its sill
yer and gold: toward him who BY the
discipline OF the worlds suffering pre-
pares men for the painless and death
less country; toward him who pre-
sides over all our partlsanship and Ia
10 be at last the ruler OF all rulers.
In this effort to gain a common and
lofty ground for sOur gratitude. let
us raise our thanksgiving TO the very
highest thing and let us heed this an
Client commandment. Give thanks a,
the remembrance OF his holiness"
You viii note that this text con
meets Thanksgiving with remembrance.
Perhaps more than any other day in
the year this holiday Ia q day for a
personal retrospect The only date
which would challenge it's field IN this
respect Is New Years day. and that.
as even its name indicates, looks for
ward rather than backward; II is q
day for resolves rather than for re-
membrance. Whatever may be the rea-
son for q mans gratitude. II has 10
DO in some form with his memory.
II he Is thankful for his future Il IL
because ne throws into II the conf
dence that he has won from his past.
This n true IN reference even 20 the
gratitude that man would feel for
the promised heaven. He who 10 thank
ful for worldly success gives thanks
because he remembers: he who II
thankful for bodily health gives thanks
because he remembers And he who
IA thankful for the highest things gives
thanks at the remembrance OF Gods
holiness. Thanking IL simply remem-
bering seasoned with justice and rev
erence: II is thinking backward over
the past and upward 20 God II In
thought climbing from the lowest TO
the highest. II Is the mind travers-
ing It's old Journeys. recognizing that
Gods company was all along the
ways, and lifting up here and there
memories OF the divine holiness The
word OF the psalmlst thus states the
process through which one must come
TO his real thanksgiving
But we have here given not merely
the path along which gratitude comes.
but also the goal which gratitude must
reach. Unless q mans heart arrives
at God. the day IL without meaning
An atheistic people could have no
day Such a day with
out God would be an eye with nothing
TO see, a voice with nothing TO hear. q
heart with nothing to love. II 10
true that men might have a Thanks-
giving day wherein they should pass
from house to house and from man
TO man. giving praise TO HUMANKIND
for help. and friendship.
But In the ordinary sense . Thanh
giving day 10 impossible without
God. II IL the conception that he
broods IN holiness over our lives that
alone gave the day its historic begin
ming and continues It until now. This
psaimist thinker leads US straight 70
this thought. True gratitude cannot
stop short Of God n ever . man y
the victim Of his own unfaith. II must
BE- on Thanksgiving day He cannot
be grateful to nothinsness Al that
time no man can really Set on unlsss
he has . God. In deepest truth he
can have no gratitude because II 10
for him to obey the com
mand, Give thanks at the remsm-