Happy Thanksgiving to One and All!

I have returned from a pleasant trip to San Antonio, thankful for time spent with good friends and the opportunity to learn some interesting things from papers presented at the 2004 national convention of the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature. Unfortunately, while the fellowship and the food were great we had rain every day we were there so there was not very much opportunity for sight-seeing. And the flooding of I-10 prevented me from spending Thanksgiving with my dear friends Rebecca and Mike Leppala in Houston as I had planned. But considering that I now have a rather unpleasant cold it may be for the best that I simply came home. Still, God has been good to me this year and I am grateful. May God bless you all this day and always!

A reflection for Thanksgiving from the Sarum Missal, Preface and Sanctus:
"It is meet and right, true and just that we should always and everywhere give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, through Christ our Lord. Through whom angels praise thy Majesty, Principalities adore, Powers tremble. The heavens, and heavenly virtues, and blessed seraphim with united exultation praise thee. With whom we pray that we may be admitted to join our humble voices, in suppliant confession, saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest."

VERE dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, Aeterne Deus, per Christum Dominum nostrum: per quem Majestatem tuam laudant angeli, adorant dominationes, tremunt potestates, cœli cœlorumque virtutes ac beata Seraphin socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti jubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes: SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS, DOMINUS DEUS SABAOTH. PLENI SUNT COELI ET TERRA GLORIA TUA. HOSANNA IN EXCELSIS. BENEDICTUS QUI VENIT IN NOMINE DOMINI. HOSANNA IN EXCELSIS.