A large part of my heritage (46%)  is Indigenous Americas-Mexico. My father was born in Phoenix, Arizona, so somewhere in the back roads of history my ancestors were part of Thanksgiving. I am also 46% Spanish, which links me to the Conquistadores who first came to Florida.

The First Thanksgiving

In elementary school I learned about the indigenous people and the Pilgrims getting together to celebrate the first Thanksgiving. The historic images were always the same; an Indian chief presenting a feast to the Pilgrims, and the Puritan women serving the meal. They all sat down and enjoyed a wonderful bounty. But is this what really happened? Or is this where fake news originated?

Yes, back in 1621 the Puritans, the English Protestants/Separatists, who wanted to break away from the stronghold of  King James I and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, came to a New World seeking religious freedom. They came across on the Mayflower and landed on the cold shores of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Little did they know that the Wampanoag Natives had inhabited the land thousands of years before their arrival. Fifty -six years before the Pilgrims’ arrival, the Spaniards  landed in Florida. Since it was the feast day of St. Augustine, they named the colony after the saint and built an altar to thank God for their safe journey. The Timucua Indians watched as the Spaniards celebrated Mass.

The Native Americans were invited to feast with the new settlers. The Timucua tribe may have brought wild game, squash and seafood, while the Spaniards may have cooked up some cocido, a Spanish traditional stew made with pork and vegetables. So in many ways this too was a great day of Thanksgiving.

Aside from being the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine was the site of  the first Mass celebrated in America. Equally important, the first mission to American Indians originated in St. Augustine. Since I’m half  Spanish, my ancestors were part of that first Thanksgiving.

Abraham Lincoln

Can you imagine the stress level of this wonderful President? Abraham Lincoln was doing everything in his power to heal a broken nation. The Civil War was raging, and all the fighting was taking its toll. President Lincoln was distraught about the division in our nation and wanted to bring back unity in our country.

Sarah Josepha Hale, an American editor and writer, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln petitioning him to make Thanksgiving a legal holiday.  Through her urging, in 1863 President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day, making it a national holiday.  In 1941 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed  the date to the fourth Thursday in November to boost the economy and to kick off Christmas shopping.

Thank the good Lord for President Lincoln, whose recognition of Thanksgiving was credited to his great stewardship.

Thanksgiving Etiquette

If you are hosting Thanksgiving, you must display love. There is no place better than in your home to share the love of God. Your guests must feel welcomed as soon as they walk into the door. Love has no rules or boundaries, it does not hold on to past family events that did not go well. Love is the antidote to hate. So if you are holding on to hurt feelings from times past, you need to recognize it.

Many times our own selfish behaviors keep us from seeing the truth. If you have had a falling out with a family member, God has given you special graces to forgive. If you cannot forgive, then you are suffering from a hardened heart. There is nothing worse than a person who is set in their ways. They’re difficult because they feel that everyone around them should recognize their pain. News flash! No one cares! Because you have set your beliefs above everyone else’s feelings,  they recognize that you are the problem.

Parents

Nothing saddens parents more than siblings who are at odds with one another. All grown children must take into consideration that as parents age, life must become easier, not more challenging. Unfortunately that is not the case in many families. As grown adults it is not becoming to throw fits and uninvite family because you’re upset with another sibling.  This is an example of gross, unacceptable behavior from the host from Hell.

Alcohol

There is a reason why alcohol is referred to as spirits. When some people have over indulged in alcohol, their personalities change. Some are affected in negative ways. The Devil or spirits gain control of their minds, and we all know what happens next. Insults are hurled at guests and an out-of-control spirit takes hold of them. At this stage the best thing to do is leave, or, if  they’re  guests, ask them to leave. Nothing is worse than an inebriated  guest who  takes the joy out of  Thanksgiving.

Political  Etiquette

If your guest did not agree with who you supported in the last election, get over it. I did, and had to wait patiently for four years for a change. In our home we are all equally yoked when it comes to this matter. But we have in the past invited guests who  do not agree as we do. We keep it civil and never engage in a politically heated discussion. My husband Mike makes sure of this.

Passing the Baton

Over a Chinese dinner, my son Mikos and his wife Jenny suggested that they should take over hosting Thanksgiving.  Before I could open my mouth, Mike said yes! As I took a bite of the pork fried rice, I was not completely in agreement with this hasty decision. I kept my thoughts to myself because, after all, Mike does all the cooking. My job is setting the table and cleanup. The following morning I came to my senses. No! I want to host Thanksgiving, remembering that I had just purchased new cloth Thanksgiving napkins.

The Change

Mike cooks the turkey along with about seven side dishes, so I suggested that he make the turkey, dressing, and creamed corn. Jenny and Mikos’ responsibilities are ham, potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, green beans and mac and cheese. Sonja is always in charge of desserts.

My Prayer

Lord, I thank You that we as a family have always shared a peaceful Thanksgiving meal. I pray for all families who are in the midst of strife and division. Lord, bring peace to Your table of plenty. Amen.

Thinking about this past election, one thing for which I am so grateful: no more ads. That in itself is a blessing.

Latino Vote

Apparently I was not the only Latino who voted for Trump. According to a CBSNews/YouGov poll, 46% of registered Latinos voted for him as well. Fifty three percent of  Latino voters favored Trump’s plan of mass deportation. Seventy six percent of Latinos believe that the crisis at the border was one of the main reasons. According to the Pew Research Center an estimated 36.2 million Latinos were eligible to vote this year. This number has increased from 32.3 million in 2020. The majority of us stand for faith, family and hope.

Faith

To me it was a priority to vote for a candidate who protected my faith.  Our God given-rights must be protected. We live in a free democracy and should always be allowed to express our love for God. Our values have been shaken with the distorted information about protecting the unborn. Because the Democrats took a radical stance on abortions as their main platform, it did not go well. They need to reexamine their inaccurate information and not use this as a platform in the future. Now they need to reboot their liberal thinking to reach the masses.

For me, a God-fearing Christian, it would he a heinous act to see a puppy being drowned. I would do anything to save it. I know very well that those on the left would do the same.  But under these circumstances, when it comes to the subject of saving an unborn baby, it’s a different story. You can give a new title to soften the meaning and gain constituents, but abortion is the killing of an innocent life. Although  they changed the name to Women’s Reproductive Rights, it does not dismiss the fact that an innocent child is being sacrificed.

Family

It is up to us as parents and grandparents to guide our children. They not only need parental guidance but spiritual guidance as well. In this cruel world we cannot make it without God. As a catechism teacher I have witnessed the positive difference in my students. I do not know their backgrounds, or if they are being raised by a single parent. All I know is that someone is taking the responsibility to nurture them to become better human beings. The Orange County Diocese requirement to complete this program is two years,

The Retreat

This weekend we hosted a day-long retreat. We played a game where some of the students were asked to do things outside their comfort zone. I have two Brians in my group, and they are both on the introverted side. It was an amazing transition as one Brian had to get in the middle of the group and pretend he was surfing, while the other Brian had to do a silly dance. Much to my surprise they were opening up and expressing themselves without fear.

I am so proud of my grandson Lucas  for enduing the eight-hour retreat. During the hour and a half break I walked around the baseball field while he socialized with other students in the youth room.

Adoration

Adoration was an integral  part of the retreat. I made sure that all of my students genuflected before the altar. Later I explained to them that bending one knee to the floor is showing reverence.  For an hour we listened to beautiful praise music while we were before the Blessed Sacrament. It was a holy experience for some of the students. I say some because others have not yet reached that level in their spiritual journey.

The adventure of mishaps continues with me and the prison visits.

Ill Prepared

I thought for sure that finally I got it right. Well, I did as far as my clothing regulations, but something went really wrong and I  knew I would pay for the mistake. The evening before the visit I had a conversation with Mario and mentioned that I did not have an appointment to visit him on Friday. Explaining that in the past several of my visits were without an appointment,  Mario and I both came to the same conclusion that it would be fine like all the other times.

Preparing

I went to Ralphs to exchange two twenty dollar bills for forty one-dollar bills for the visit. From the jar of coins that we keep at home, I counted an additional $18 in quarters. I was set.

On Fridays all visits  start at 11:00 a.m.,  but since I did not have an appointment I decided not to take any chances;  arriving at 10 a.m. felt safe. As I pulled into the facility, not a soul was there. Then I noticed two uniformed officers exiting their car with a box of donuts. I rolled down my window and asked, “Are there visits today?” One officer looked at me perplexed and said, “Yes.” Parking my car near the awning of the check-in area gave me a great advantage because the officer in tower #4 could not see that I was taking pictures from my vehicle.

The Rosary

At 10:30 I started to pray a rosary with intentions. To explain “praying with intentions” simply means that before every decade I say a special prayer. In this case it was so that Mario and I would have a fulfilled, blessed visit and that I would be able to minister to him.

The Shakedown

At around 11:00 a.m . other visitors had arrived. I was still in the car so a few people started to line up ahead of me. I let a young lady go before me because she had an infant in her arms. She also had an interesting tatoo around her earlobe.  As much as I tried to make out what in the world was written there, I could not read it or understand  why anyone would get tatted on an earlobe!

For the over 30 or more visitors with an 11:00 a.m. appointment the officers arrived at 12 noon to start checking us in. We are always at their mercy; they couldn’t care less if people drove for hours to see their loved ones. We all grumbled under our breaths at the disrespect the guards  displayed. Remember, I arrived at 10:00 a.m., so that was two hours for me.

Finally it  was my turn to get checked in. I explained that I was a walk-on visitor and waited for the clearance to allow me passage. In the past it was an additional 15 minutes of waiting, but not today. The officer looked at me and said, “All walk-on visits start at two.” I quickly reminded him that in the past it was not a problem. Then he said,”These are the regulations, and today I’m enforcing them.”

There were no grounds for an argument; besides I was going to lose. I was not about to make these other people wait longer, so I quietly stepped out of line. Heading back  into my car, I texted  Mario and told him that I would be back at two. Mario felt awful and suggested that I go home.

The Mass Reading

I knew that I had to keep the visit because after praying before attending Mass that morning, I needed confirmation from the Lord  as to whether I  should go to see Mario without an appointment. At Mass on October 25th, in two of the readings (Eph.  4:1 and Luke 12:58) the word prison was mentioned twice! As challenging as the day was, it was clear that the visit must take place.

Cowboy Lunch

Norco is a country town with cowboys and many horse trails. I drove around and found Norco’s Best Burgers. As I ate my lunch, I thought about how angry I was at the two guards. I concluded that I would write a letter to our governor. Then I remembered who our governor is and quickly dismissed that thought. I was upset but did not want to take this emotion with me to the visit. Maybe the guards were delayed because they had a meeting about making sure that the regulations were being adhered to. My mind was crazy with thoughts.

The Epiphany

As I took a  drink of my iced tea, a clear thought came to mind: Find a Catholic Church.  St. Mel’s Catholic Church was about six miles away from Norco’s Best Burgers. I had never heard of this saint, so of course I googled him. He was a 5th century saint and nephew of St. Patrick.

When I arrived at St. Mel’s I saw a woman exiting the church and asked, “Is the church open?” She quickly answered, “Yes!” “And by chance is there Adoration?” “Every Friday we have Adoration,” she replied. My heart was filled with excitement as I rushed into the Adoration chapel.

Spending this special time with the Lord at Adoration cleared my head of all anger. A great conviction came over me for blaming the officers when in reality I needed to own up to my irresponsibility for not making an appointment.

The Visit

I left the Adoration chapel at 1:30 and headed back to the prison. The same guard looked at me and said, “I think I can let you in 15 minutes earlier.” I shrugged my shoulders and sat down. The anger had lifted, but I was not about to give them credence for any favors the guard thought he was giving me. Besides it was 2:15 by the time I made contact with Mario.

Mario

I had already purchased a hoagie sandwich with chips and a drink by the time we sat at table 51.  As usual, one of the inmates in an orange vest assisted me in carrying the food while another got the Catholic Bible we use. Mario was happy to see me.

Mario mentioned that three times earlier in the week he had read Haggai. Haggai is a minor prophet with a major message to the Israelites. The Book of Haggai is about rebuilding the Temple of God. In many ways this book was speaking to Mario about rebuilding his temple, to finally gather all the right material to sustain any spiritual storms, to break free from all that would hold him back and finally attain what God has set aside for him.

The Medical Emergency 

While we were deep in conversation about Haggai, an ambulance arrived. With all the commotion I wanted to investigate the matter. I had just mentioned to Mario that I had to use the facilities.

Mario warned me, “You can’t go now, they won’t let you in the building!” Our visit was outdoors. “Well, you know what, when I have to go, I have to go!” I, too, was experiencing an emergency. I asked a guard for permission to use the restroom, and  he reluctantly agreed. But as I was approaching the steps, a female officer yelled out, “Ma’am, we are having a medical emergency, you need to sit down!” I pointed to the guard who gave me permission and said, “I need to use the restroom and he said it was fine!”

Much to my delight, I was able to witness the emergency. Apparently one of the inmates fell ill. As he was transported onto the gurney, his mother shed a few tears.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to organize my life. Lord, continue to work in Mario’s life to prepare him for a normal life outside of prison. Lord, may we never forget all those who are incarcerated.  I pray for all prisoners that they would seek Your guidance. Amen.