My dear brothers and sisters in Christ – November 2025
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we gather to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with our friends and loved ones, we call to mind the many gifts that the Lord has given us. A gracious spirit is the hallmark of Christian life, and gratitude is the recognition of the goodness of God and our fellow man. The roofs over our heads, the food that we receive, and the fellowship of our brothers and sisters are all signs that we have a loving Father in heaven. And, our earthly family remains in communion through his unchanging promise.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we gather to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with our friends and loved ones, we call to mind the many gifts that the Lord has given us. A gracious spirit is the hallmark of Christian life, and gratitude is the recognition of the goodness of God and our fellow man. The roofs over our heads, the food that we receive, and the fellowship of our brothers and sisters are all signs that we have a loving Father in heaven. And, our earthly family remains in communion through his unchanging promise.
The second reading for Thanksgiving comes from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He speaks of three spiritual gifts. He first mentions “grace”: God’s life within us. When we surrender to the Lord’s will, we are strengthened by his presence to bring peace and unity to our communities and our world.
St. Paul also mentions the gift of “discourse and all knowledge.” We come to know God and share him with others when we engage in dialogue. The conversation between us and God is called prayer; when it bears fruit between ourselves and our neighbors, it is known as evangelization.
The third gift is “testimony,” a witness of the power of Christ’s ministry in our own lives. Our stories bring a personal touch to the Good News that we read in sacred Scripture. Even to this day, these ripple effects from our lives continue to spread Christ’s death for us and our hope of the resurrection from his rising.
This festive season, as we conclude Via Fidelis’ Year of Evangelization and move into the Year of Catechesis, I ask that you share these gifts — grace, discourse and knowledge, testimony — with every person you encounter, especially in your own families and with those who may not know how or why you believe in the Risen Lord. We all can teach and evangelize with our lives.
I wish all of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving! May the hope, the love and the fellowship of Christ and his Church be with you all!
“I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:4-7).
In Christ’s love,
Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS
Bishop of Charleston
