"Love follows knowledge."
"Beauty above all beauty!"
– St. Catherine of Siena

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Faith Filled Friday: George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

Umm, I know, it’s not Friday.  But I wanted this out for Thanksgiving, which is a Thursday.  I assume many of you have seen this, but I wanted to post it.  This is President George Washington’s Proclamation for a national day of Thanksgiving in the first year of our nation’s history.
 

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.


You can’t say it better than that.  I am thankful for so many things, but especially my family and friends and all those who stop here to comment.  God bless you all.  In a small way you are all part of this blessed life that God has graciously given me.

 
 

9 comments:

  1. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, and to all your readers as well.

    George Washington was great man- he could have been king! Wonder what that would have been like...?

    Don't eat to much turkey- save from for pie! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Okay---these errors are beyond my understanding - they weren't there when I hit publish...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Jan. Have a great Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As some of you might know that our Canadian Thanksgiving started off by giving thanks to Almighty God for our bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed and is observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

    And I see that Almighty God was also recognized in your American Thanksgiving but forgive me for being a little concern as to whether God will always be recognized in law.

    Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

    Happy Thanksgiving to you Manny, your family and also to the rest of your American friends.

    God Bless Peace

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy belated Canadian Thanksgiving Victor, and thank you for stopping by.

      Delete
  6. Thank you for sending me here.Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.
    Jana! sodahead

    ReplyDelete