All of us, no doubt, remember the time when almost every business closed on Sundays.  This was not only respectful of "The Lord's Day" and our need to participate in Mass and "rest" from our work week labors, but it also provided family time, which strengthened bonds between family members.  This respite from work and our regular routines, has been the case on certain holidays, like Thanksgiving, until our present time.   Now the idols of commercialism and materialism are urging us to worship them on "family days" like Thanksgiving with businesses now opening all day or part of the day on Thanksgiving.

 I ask you to consider respecting the traditions of Thanksgiving and refrain from the lure of sales that is out there on that day.  Even if you will not be with your extended family this Thanksgiving, some who do have families will be made to leave their families to serve you and other customers on this wonderful holiday.  There are daily attacks on the family, which we need to work against by our words and actions.  Here is the one day that if enough of us say no to this temptation, perhaps the retailers and others will consider leaving Thanksgiving as the family day it has always been.  By the way, I invite you to join with your parish family at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving for Mass to thank God for the many blessings we have received as a country and as families who call God our Father.