My Dear People of God,
 
This is just a note to wish all of you a Blessed Thanksgiving and a joyful upcoming Holiday Season.
 
As we reflect upon the bountiful blessings we have received from the Lord: life and health, family and friends and our precious gift of faith, we must never forget that the sign of a true disciple of Christ is a person who has a grateful heart. To have an "attitude of gratitude" to God for "all we are and have" is paramount in the life of a Christian.
 
We thank the Lord for this beautiful "season of harvest" and for those who are involved in agriculture and the production of the crops that put food on our tables. May God bless them with a fruitful harvest and may he bless our brothers and sisters who work the fields of our many farming communities.

As we celebrate "the harvest" throughout our Central Valley, let us thank God for the gift of the natural and precious resource of water. Let us turn to prayer for a season of plentiful rain for our valley and snow in the mountains. Let us show our gratefulness to God for the gift of creation and entrusting it to our care. May we never fail to be good stewards of God's gift of creation.
 
Let us, on Thanksgiving Day, express our gratitude by attending Mass. It is there that we encounter our gracious God who has blest us with his goodness, and through the work of human hands, has given us the "fruit of the earth" and the "fruit  of  the  vine"  which becomes our "bread of life" and our "spiritual drink," the Eucharist ,Jesus!
 
Is there any better way to begin Thanksgiving Day, then by attending Mass? To stand before our generous Lord is a gift in itself. It is a privilege to be in his presence and, with humble and grateful hearts, to say: "Thank You!" It is on a day like Thanksgiving that the words we say just before receiving the Eucharist take on a greater significance: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed!" May each and every one of you experience the presence of the Lord "under your roofs" this Thanksgiving Day.
 
A Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bishop Myron J. Cotta



Mi querido pueblo de Dios,
 
Esta es solalllente una nota para desearles un bendecido dia de Acci6n de Gracias y una telllporada de fiestas llenas de gozo.
 
Al reflexionar en las bendiciones abundantes que helllos recibido de nuestro Senor: vida, salud, falllilia, allligos y nuestro precioso regalo de la k no podelllos olvidar que la senal
del verdadero discipulo de Cristo es un coraz6n agradecido. Es suprelllo en la vida de un cristiano tener una "actitud de agradecillliento" a Dios por "todo lo que solllos y tenelllos".
 
Agradecelllos al Senor por esta "telllporada de la cosecha" y por todos los que estan envueltos en la agricultura y la producci6n de los cultivos que ponelllos en nuestras Illesas. Que Dios los bendiga con una cosecha abundante y que bendiga a nuestros herlllanos y herlllanas que trabajan las tierras de varias colllunidades agricolas.
 
Delllos gracias a Dios, Illientras celebralllos "la cosecha" en todo el Valle Central, por el regalo natural y precioso del agua. Orelllos por una telllporada abundante de lluvia para nuestro valle y nieve en las Illontanas. Delllostrelllos nuestro agradecillliento a Dios por el don de la creaci6n y confiarlo a nuestro cuidado. Que nunca fallelllos colllo Buenos adlllinistradores del don de la creaci6n.
 
Delllostrelllos nuestro agradecillliento en el dia de Acci6n de Gracias asistiendo a Misa. Es alli donde nos encontralllos con nuestro buen Dios que nos ha bendecido con su bondad, y atreves de Illanos hulllanas, nos ha dado "el fruto de la tierra" y "el fruto de la vina" que nos viene colllo nuestro "pan de vida" y "bebida espiritual", la iEucaristia- Jesus!
 
lHay una Illanera Illejor de colllenzar el Dia de Acci6n de Gracias, que asistiendo a Misa? Estar en la presencia de nuestro buen Dios ya es un don en si Illislllo. Es un privilegio, con un Corazon hulllilde y agradecido, decir: "Gracias!" Es colllo el dia de Acci6n de Gracias, con las palabras que decilllos antes de recibir la Eucaristia, tolllan un Illayor significado: "Senor, no soy digno de que entres a Illi casa, pero una palabra tuya bastara para sanarllle!" Este dia de Acci6n de Gracias que cada uno de ustedes experilllente la presencia de Dios "en su casa".
 
Un Feliz y Bendecido Dia de Acci6n de Gracias!