Thursday, November 28, 2019
American Thanksgiving
First Day of the Nativity Fast
Commencement of Advent in the Orthodox Church

By an uncommon occurrence, the beginning of our Orthodox Advent Fast this year coincides with the 4th Thursday of November, otherwise known in America as Thanksgiving. I have blogged before about my annoyance at reducing this great holiday to its chief dish. This year we received an opportunity to practice giving thanks without the turkey, and you know, I think we all felt quite a bit lighter.

Then, while almost everyone was hitting the shopping places for Black Friday deals, my wife and I went on retreat to a great nature sanctuary in Central New York called Wellness-te where we booked a cabin in the woods for two, had minimal contact with the world, and just walked and talked about life.

We read aloud from a recent book called Marriage-ology by a woman journalist for Time magazine who covers the family beat. It was the perfect conversation starter for couples who are all too often inundated with schedules and conversations all revolving around children. Her humor was infectious, and she loosened us up to address matters that we had long since overlooked.

Overall, it was a terrific weekend except for the enormous snow storm we drove through on Sunday. Glory to God for a chance to reflect, give thanks, and rest at the beginning of Advent. a blessed Advent journey to all on the road to Christ’s incarnation!