The Holy Family, December 30, 2012

          One of the dangerous of popular piety is that it creates in our minds and hearts the image of the saints which we can't relate to. The saints become so perfect, so ideal that we have nothing in common with them for it seems as they lived the lives of angels or superhumans.

          Today, during our celebration here, we remember the Holy Family. It is a perfect opportunity for us to look closer at this family, to ask ourselves some questions such as:

·       What is our image of the Holy Family?

·       How can we relate to them?

·       What could possibly our own family have in common with the Holy Family?

We look at the life of our own families:

·       perhaps a single parent family;

·       perhaps this is our second or third marriage;

·       perhaps we live together with another person but have never got married;

·       perhaps we or the member of our family is "out of the closet";

·       perhaps we experience some financial strains; lock of employment; or too many bills;

·       perhaps we or a member of our family suffers from some sort of addictions;

·       perhaps we experience some sort of physical or emotional abuse;

·       perhaps we spend a lot of your time taking care of the elderly or sick relative.

And hopefully even if we don't face these difficulties we might still deal with:

·       extremely busy schedules;

·       endless loads of laundry;

·       daily disputes such as who is going to wash the dishes, take garbage out, vacuum, or walk the dog;

·       or we deal with a messy house;

·       or an empty house; after our spouse died or children moved out;

·       or perhaps we feel that we are growing apart as a family;

·       or we feel that the most of the responsibilities are placed on our shoulders.

          So, when we think about our own family lives, can we at all relate the life of the Holy Family? Do we have anything in common with them? They seemed so perfect, so ideal, so stable, so holy, so suited for raising children, so respectful of authority, and so rooted in the life of faith and in God.

          What do we know about the Holy Family that does not seem so conventional or so much fitting our pious image of Joseph, Mary and Jesus family? Let us stop and take some time to think about it:

Mary:

·       got pregnant probably at the age of 12 or 13 before all her marriage arrangements were properly completed for such an event to take place;

·       it seems as she raised Jesus as a single parent;

·       on different occasions together with the other members of her family she tried to stop Jesus from preaching the gospel.

Joseph:

·       broke law by not notifying authorities about Mary's pregnancy for although he was married to her she was pregnant with someone else. In the eyes of the law Marry was supposed to be stoned to death for this offense.

·       in spite of his profession as a carpenter or stone maker Joseph did not seem to be able to provide for his family in proper ways all the time. For example, Jesus was born in a stable.

·       it also seems as Joseph disappeared from the family life very early and we do not know why. Did he die?

Jesus:

·       never got married, not a typical and common practice of  his times;

·       did not follow his father noble profession, but became a traveling preacher;

·       had a gift for upsetting those in authority;

·       was executed as a criminal.

The bottom line is:

          The family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus does not fit conventional standards of any family of any age, and definitely might not fit any piety standards which are so close to our hearts.

          The Holy Family was not stress or problem free. It does not seem they were so perfect, so ideal, so stable, so suited for raising children, so respectful of authority, but they listened to the voice of their consciences in their lives, they did what God was asking of them, even if this defined conventions of their times, , and cared about and loved each other.

          This is the way the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus became holy.

         

          On this feast day of the Holy Family, we are all invited, in spite of the problems and stress which we might be facing, to put our trust in God, to put Him above anything and anyone else, even above cultural and social conventions of our times,  to listen to our consciences, and to deeply care about and to love the members of our own families, even if they do not seem too perfect, so our families, as the Holy Family was,  might be holy, too.

Christmas 2012

Today is not a day to break out the seminary-trained brilliance. It has been a while anyway I graduated from a seminary.

Today is not a day to guilt anyone into coming to our church. Even you do it only once or twice a year, or  proclaim to be Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim, or even an agnostic or an atheist.

I am glad you are here. I am glad to see you here.

You are special and unique. You are unconditionally loved by God regardless of your church membership, or creed, color of skin, nationality, education, or income, or even if you a big time sinner.

God wants to be a part of your life. He wants you to feel His love. He wants you to be a part of Christmas story which we remember today.

He has become in Jesus, one of us, so we can know how much He wants us to be one with Him.

Each time you are able to see a person in your life who seems to be fragile, or vulnerable, or needing some help or love or hope, and you do something about it and allow God to do something about it,  you become a part of the Christmas story, and the story becomes alive in your own life.

Regardless;  if that person is you yourself, or your family member, or your friend, or your neighbor, or a stranger whom you have met for the first time in your life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The 4th Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2012

Mic 5:1-4; Heb 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45

My trip to Nepal and staying with the priests in a Catholic Church in Kathmandu (The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady):

·       81% Hindu, 9% Buddhism, 4.4% Islam, 1.4% Christians, and about 7100 Catholics;

·       27 million people

·       It is a secular state, the constitution does not guarantee much of religious freedom

·       Not the most welcoming to Catholicism: conversion to Christianity is illegal, NGO - a permission to be renewed every year, bombing of the church in 2009 by radical group, 3 people died, a lady brought a bomb in a bag

          The way for them to spread the gospel of Christ: catholic schools, the way they live their lives, and act on the teachings of Christ.

          It seems as only through the actions and presence of Nepalese Catholics that the Catholic Church will have a chance to grow there.

     In today's gospel we hear a story of Mary visiting her relative Elizabeth.

Some biblical scholars are questioning if this really took place for:

·       how would a fourteen-year-old Jewish virgin make, a probably, 4-day journey by herself?

·       and why would she leave her relative Elizabeth , it seems, at the time of her greatest need, just before, she gave birth to John the Baptist?

          What they suggest is that the evangelist Luke's intent of the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth is literal and theological, not historical.

          The carefully crafted scene not only creates, according to them, an occasion for Mary to proclaim her Magnificat, but it also reinforces Luke's theological point that John recognizes Jesus' superiority by leaping with joy at Mary's pregnant arrival (Jesus does not leap). Something big is about to happen because Mary is carrying out God's word, and John will be a part of it, as Mary has already been a part of it herself. Other passages of Luke's gospel (Luke 1:38; Luke 11:27-28) also stress how important it had been for Mary to carry out God's word in her life.

          It seems as for the evangelist Luke Mary is worthy of imitation not because of her special selection by God to give birth to His son, but because she always acts on what God is asking of her.

          It is through her actions and presence that others are drawn to her son.

          One of the questions which we might ask ourselves as we reflect on today's gospel passage of Mary visiting Elizabeth is:

          How do our individual and St. Mary community's actions and presence draw other to Christ?

          Probably each one of us can come up with a list of things preventing us from answering this question in more positive way we would have wished to.

          For example, our Finance Council, keeps in front of me, at least recently that bleak picture that we might need perhaps to let go of some of our ministries, or even go over our version of "Fiscal Cliff" soon, if, as some of them say to me, you Father do not receive more money in collection baskets over Christmas.

          And as I listen to them, my rebellious streak's voice says, this might not be a bad thing. Then another voice chimes in: I am tired of trying to keep the things a float when so many say to me on regular basis how many things are wrong at St. Mary's, how many ministries have so many different problems, how many people begin but do not finish different projects or stay with them for a very short duration, how many people are so willing to give advice but not to be a part of solution for they are too busy, and I feel that so many expect of me to fix all of it. 

          And then after my rebellious and sorry for myself voices quite down, and I have some time to pray, I hear another voice in me:

          There are many good people in St. Mary's community, you just need to keep opening yourself and them to the presence of My Spirit. Do not give up, keep looking for the ways to do it and do what I tell you!

          So I keep asking what do I need to do? How am I supposed to be present to my community of St. Mary's so they are drawn more to Christ?

          Perhaps after listening to this soppy part of this homily, of course if you understood it due to my accent and acoustic of the place (pending where you sit), or if you give any .....and could give any...or be able to do it to what I said, or if you do not feel offended by my words for you are already giving so much of your time, treasure, and talent to St. Mary's community, for what I am very thankful and grateful, please ask yourself as I have been asking myself for the last 3.5 years:

          What do you, as a member of St. Mary's community, need to do and how you need to be present to those surrounding you so others might be drawn to Christ, be more active members of our community, and all of us be prouder about being a part of St. Mary's Catholic Church parish located in this corner of South West Virginia?