Magyar Egyház, 1955 (34. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1955-09-01 / 9. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 Z)ltankógp ... More than 300 years ago, Governor Bradford of Massachusetts issued a proclamation to set aside a day “for Thanksgiving unto God for the plentious harvest.” Thus the first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in 1621 by the colonists and Indians participating in a Thanksgiving dinner. They must have had a wonderful time together, wild turkey and other foods to eat, merry-making, but above all giving thanks to Almighty God for the blessings they all received during the past year. Today, after 300 years, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States of America by all those who came here to find peace from their persecution, by those, who came to start a new life, when their old world crumbled, by all those, who came from Europe, Asia, Africa and from all parts of te globe. Church members can demonstrate their gratitude and thanksgiving by their behavior by their words and by their actions. But, we all agree, that in order to be thankful, we must show our gratitude toward Almighty God first, than toward our fellow men. All our gifts in our spiritual, ethical and material world are bestowed upon us from above. One may find warnings to be thankful toward God, especially in the Book of Psalms. When you read some of the psalms you come across the exhortation: “Oh, come, let us sing unto the Lord, let us come before His presence with thanksgiving...!” or “enter into His gates with thanksgiving!”, or in another psalm: “praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endureth for ever...!” Paul in his letters to the Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians gave a special emphasis to thanksgiving. This is one of the best virtues of Christians. eriWsb,QUght to give thanks to our Heavenly Father ÍOj íJjfjs most precious gift, the Lord Jesus Christ, that through our Savior we have remission of our sins and Ufe;leverla&tingi/Christians are thankful, because they koOMinlhat we Jire rali dinners, and no one will ever beTsayed by;ihemselves oraby .others, but only through Him, who;igave,Uiitiselfi: as.ái cans*)m for us. Do you have this inward pé&oS iand r,thanksgiving in your he,afit?ni baiaxlfjsa aiaw aoimioq Usma aisw irsWer oughtbto; give:íhan'ks'>t01íAlmÍgh*tJ>fGdi®'í(»- all His: blessiiigs. Do iyou remember:the Lord lBfffftgPuj? Hi§:pr,ayeE7be£0ra-.th©;Lasc:Su:]6peUdnd!£ibfHgi!fft‘änk§',i He broke.theibreadi.andnsaídt'tfJTdkgy’rébfl'Tflftl body;iwhich is: btokenofopsyoH‘.r' showered';npoa‘ms>,v/evepy'‘éáf, >äM:rjJ&IJnit{W$s“all things a work -together:’fotf good;1 Godi”on brn; baioteeupyg grow nsmow atariw ssnJnuoD oi We ought to give fhaMs'itó :‘our°feí-’ löW-^'niéffi, fyftő'by ‘th'éir gÖod' Öcaiiiplef mfsmmual. intellectual ’ arid matéffcfí tfiíhfe M8f ff® oúí1 sídvaticíff:,,ffVe oüghP'to 'll parents, who gave us so much, that we^’cari never emiteef^d!h«ití-^lL^étf'%é'kíögtó,% Minks for Öüfi:teächer§: and'pästbrs, whcf-tai^iAi^th^ o’ftt«ffí,t«(«sadflibfaféh^'áStó:8eé^ífi®? £ ".aatfemirio 9d? W«ir-ÖBgWJ tÖi:|iti& tliänkP förníhi10/ea3ers in our community, state and national affairs. Those who are in offices carry on the responsibilities, protect the people and lead them out of disasters and other calamities. Then, too, we ought to be thankful to God for all things and for all those who help us. The Bible mentions in the Old and New Testament fine illustrations toward the spirit of thankfulness. Soon Advent will be here and preparation will get underway to receive the most wonderous gift of God: “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”’ Accept the Lord Jesus Christ, believe in Him and say it with gratitude: “Thanks be unto God, for His unspeakable gift!” Thanksgiving Day is America’s own holiday. It is a joyous as well as a solemn occasion. Let us all remember, then, besides the traditional meal, games and merriment, to return thanks to God for His blessings, for the material and spiritual benefits. Amid the festivities, and the general spirit of good fellowship, let us all celebrate this American Holiday by praying, singing to God and worshiping Him in our Churches. D.A. Intolerant Rome Rome is becoming more and more open and aggressive in her determinaton to eliminate Protestantism from the lands which she controls through union of Church and State. Late in July Cardinal Ottaviani delivered a semiofficial address supporting restrictions on Protestant minorities in Roman Catholic countries. It was widely copied through the world and extensively quoted in the New York Times. The Vatican diplomats immediately announced that the views of the Cardinal were not official, but were nevertheless “unexceptionable.” Thus was disclosed the Vatican’s unchanging and unyielding opposition to religious freedom and the right to propagandize religious beliefs on the part of all churches and individuals outside the Church of Rome. Official Roman Catholic policy always has involved intolerance of non-Catholic religions and exceptions are made only in the expediency. 1;Jtaly, Spain and Colombia are outstanding examples ^thjg^tolerance at the moment, but Protestants in Pg^ug^b.^oljyja, Peru and other lands dominated by cUrJjcajjiVifJijeiipe. yray expect outbreaks of violence and JTte.Äre many evidences of a ti&iYÄPJ0 destroy , •'.'loitenimonab depaocxatic, Ubeyties^ race of. Cymmunist .totalitarian^,, slr^plqty.npd^vcym: Wr^jmr é\ rmS losöphy which is as dangerous to t np. fyljrlyirig, the world as Communism.
