"Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving…for the faith which united them with their God.
Today we give our thanks, most of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers--for the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they possessed and which we must seek every day to emulate. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.
The man who wrote those words died six days before Thanksgiving from an assassin’s bullet.
But still we gather to give thanks to God for such good men, and for the ideals of honor, faith and decency, and ask God for the graces we need to live them with courage and humility.
