The parish celebrated the harvest season Thursday with the help of the students and staff of St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School. The children’s choir lent their angelic voices to the liturgy which highlighted the season’s importance as a time of offering thanks for all the good gifts God has given us.In his homily, Fr. Whitfield touched on the spiritual need to offer thanks for God’s gift of Creation, our redemption in Christ, and the Holy Spirit as a power working within us.He quizzed the children, asking what the word “Eucharist” means (translated from Greek to English, it is “thanksgiving”) and pointed out that every time the church celebrates the Mass, it is a thanksgiving feast. In talking with the students, he touched on how important it was to be both a thankful person, but also to be one who gladly accepts God’s gifts, as these are a source of joy available to everyone. “Without that joy, I could not do what I do. I am not naturally a person who likes to get up and talk in front of others, but look at me, with the Holy Spirit I can speak to you. And I am so glad that I can, that I thank God for this gift.”
