Thanksgiving Grace

THANKSGIVING 2006

each year the table changes
another soul goes missing
yet we still give thanks

gathering together to celebrate,
praying, eating and rejoicing
and we give thanks

beaches recede, ice caps melt,
innocent peoples die in vain;
yet we still give thanks

a family reborn, reformulated,
new roles, new parts to play
and we give thanks

the winter season soon approaches,
a wood stove overheats the room
yet we still give thanks

a turkey aroma floats overhead,
hours to prepare this meal
and we give thanks

where have our lovers gone
we question, oh so silently
yet we still give thanks

but we are complete here now
and for this instant happy
and we give thanks


blognote: I wrote this grace several years ago and it is still relevant today.

Rose Hill Cemetery [15 again]

Stopped at Rose Hill Cemetery today on Thanksgiving Eve to leave a present, a baby Tootsie Bar. This was all I could think of leaving as I stayed to pray. I prayed for peace, for love, for life. I acknowledged my thankfulness in spite of my sorrow. Tomorrow and Friday I go off to be with family and friends. One friend will be missing...

Franciscan Church of Pest [56]

The Franciscan Church of Pest was the last stop on my Pray for Peace Odyssey in Eastern Europe. This church dates from the mid-18th C. and sits on the Pest side of the city, the more populated flat area where my hotel was located.

Not being able to enter, I left my card amongst the flowers and candles that had been placed in front of the crucifixion statue. There were many offerings here left over from All Saints' Day.

St Michael's Church [55]

While stopping to light a candle here at St Michael's Church I met a woman from Padua, Italy. She was very excited in being able to worship here in front of her patron saint, St Anthony of Padua. I gave her my card and she promised to follow my journey.

Scars of WWII [54]

While visiting the castle hill area of Budapest I encountered this stunning reminder of the horrors of war. The bullet holes were in the Ministry of Defense building at the top of the hill.

Just another reason to pray for peace!

St Matthias Church [53]

Left my card in a confessional here at St Matthias Church in Budapest. It is also called the Coronation Church of Our Lady. The availability of candles to light varies a lot in the many churches that I visited. In some cases the candles all come from the same supplier with plastic holders imprinted with the name of the church. In other cases, as here, they are more individual but still in little holders. I really like the candles that look like tapers but there are not many of these.

The price of lighting a candle also varies from church to church and country to country. Some are a bit more expensive than others but you can always hear that loud sound as the coin drops to the bottom of the receptacle.

St Stephen's Basilica [52]

A very ornate but cold church, St Stephen's Basilica, on a rainy day. Lit a candle and said my praryer. Felt lost in such a grand  place. This was my first of just a few churches in Budapest; this one in the Pest area closer to my hotel. I guess I will have to return to Budapest and spend the amount of time I spent in Berlin in order to see more churches.

Virgini Diparae Sacrum [51]

Couldn't get into this church in Gorlice, Slovakia and am still trying to decipher the Latin inscription that is found over the main door. I gather that it is the Church of the Assumption. Not being able to enter, light a candle or leave a card, I prayed outside. I have added some information found online:

The church was erected in neo-Renaissance style between 1875 and  1890 following the design of Franciszek Pavoni and Maksymilian Nitsch. The characteristic part is the facade referring to classical forms, ornamented with stone sculptures of 4 evangelists and an inscription saying „GORLICENSES VIRGINI DEIPARAE” which means: “From inhabitants of Gorlice to Mother of God, Virgin”. As regards the interior of the church of particular interest is the painting of the Assumption of Heavenly Mother by Jan Styka located in the high altar and the, famous for its grace, statue of Lord Jesus in Jail probably dating back to 16th or 17th century.

Danube Park Memorial [50]

As I got off the bus in Gorlice, Slovakia I was half way between the cities of Prague and Budapest. This was a delightful stop and wished that I could have stayed at least overnight. Walking along the river Danube, I spotted this memorial in the park. The day was sunny and bright, the weather beautifully cool and the town charming. Maybe some other time I will return.

Sychrov Castle Concert [49]

Sychrov Castle is a real castle. Our outing here turned out to be a walk into the royal past. The evening was very chilly but you could easily imagine living here. The composer Antonín Dvořák visited the castle several times (he was a friend of its administrator) and several of his works were inspired by its beauty. The highlight of the evening was an organ concert in the chapel. Several organ pieces were presented with amazing acoustics and two different versions of the 'Ave Maria' were sung by a gifted soprano.

Hare Krishna Procession [48]

There they were in all their ragtag glory. You could hear them chanting from the distance. I knew exactly who they were; no one else knew what was going on. Here on Charles Bridge in Prague, filled with tourists, they made there way across the bridge. I gave one of the chanters my car and she gave me theirs. It had the words to the Hare Krishna chant on it.

Maltese Church [47]

Found this intriguing church tucked away in the city of Prague.  It is known as the church of the Virgin Mary under Chain or church at “Bridge-End” and also as the church “at Maltese”.  Walking into a courtyard filled with lemon trees, the church had a mystical air. Up close it had the look of a more intimate place but from a distance you could see the towers. I was able to secretly place my card onto a priory for the next person in prayer to find.

Infant of Prague [46]

Our Lady Victorious Church, Carmelite Mission, is found in the Malastranka area of the city. As a child I always revered the Infant of Prague. This was during my schooling at St Joseph Cathedral School in Hartford. I went there from first to eighth grade. Somehow the fact that an infant was the center point made this all the more alluring.

So I was very excited that I was going to see the real thing. The statue was amazing and the clothing changes even more dazzling. I was not able to get as close to the Infant as I wanted but it was there in front of me. Because of the security measures I was not able to leave a card.

St Nicolas Church [45]

Super rococo in style, St Nicolas Church in Old Town Square, there is another in Lesser Town, is a grand old beauty. It sits to the side of the square and just doesn't seem to care that there are so many souvenir shops and tourists with their multilingual guides. I wasn't able to light a candle but did manage to leave a card.

St Vitus Cathedral [44]

St Vitus Church in Prague was writhing not with St Vitus Dance but with tourists. Tall and narrow it is filled with groups and groups of tourists most with their guides, jostling each other. I was barely able to get a glimpse of the inner church and not able to light a candle or leave a card. I did find a place to pray though.