Homily #147: "Imitate the Holy Family" (During a Time of Decline of Catholic Church in the West)

Audio for Sun., 10am Mass [#147b]

Audio for Sun. 5pm Mass [147c]

Audio for Sat. 5pm Mass [#147a]

 Homily #147:

Imitate the Holy Family 

(During a Time of Decline of Catholic Church in the West)

As we continue to celebrate Christmas today on the Feast of the Holy Family, I will focus on three ways to deepen our love for and imitate each member of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  Father prayed in the Opening Prayer or Collect of the Mass that we may imitate the Holy Family.

By living ordinary family life for 33 years, most of which was hidden from the public, God reveals that salvation not only comes through the Holy Family 2000 years ago back then, but salvation passes by way of every Christian family that adores the Newborn King today.  So goes the family, so goes the Church, and so goes the Church, so goes the world.  (The Church is the only institution capable of fighting and defeating evil.)  If we want peace in the world, if we want justice and the end to violence and lack of charity in people’s hearts, then let us ask the Holy Family to make our families holy. 

The Jesuit priest Fr. John Hardon, S.J., said that only heroic Catholic families will survive the spiritual devastation the Church is now experiencing.  And, unfortunately, diocese after diocese rafter diocese reports multiple disastrous declines at all levels of Catholic family life and faith formation.  I have seen the reports with my own eyes (for the English-speaking West): Infant baptisms in decline; First Communions and Confirmation in decline; marriages in decline; RCIA in decline; mass attendance in decline.  In such times of tribulation, the Church cries out, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, help us!”  So let us now ponder each member of the Holy Family.    

I

First, let’s start with imitating the Boy Jesus in today’s Gospel.  Our love for this Holy Child, this Santo Nino, in the Temple, is deepened when we have a childlike trust to dare call God Our Father in the midst of the Church.  As we chanted in the Responsorial Psalm, “Blessed are they who dwell in the house of the Lord!”  God is Our Father when we first and foremost receive the 7 Sacraments of the New Temple, the Church, on a regular basis.  The Boy Jesus, even at age 12, was already aware and conscious, he knew that He was the unique Son of God the Father.  Jesus didn’t just somehow “discover” this at age 30.  When Jesus’ mother asked him, “Son, why have you done this to us?  Your father (Joseph) and I have been looking for you with great anxiety,” the Boy Jesus replied, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”  My. Father’s. House.  There are no words clearer words in Scripture to reveal that Jesus knew that he was not the natural son of Joseph and that Joseph rather was his earthly foster father.  

And while we are not the only-begotten Son of the Father as the Boy Jesus is, we are adopted sons and daughters of Our Heavenly Father, as we heard in today’s Second Reading: “See what love the Father has for you in calling us his children, for so indeed we are.”  And children of Our Father, we can invite our family members and extended family members if they have completed their Sacraments.  This is a great way to bring others to God.  We too invite others with the words: Do you know not that we too must be in our Father’s house worshipping him in the Sacraments?  With the help of the Holy Family, let’s reverse the mass apostasy or people leaving the practice of their sacraments today!  [We don’t want to be CEO Catholics—“Christmas-Easter-Only” Catholics, but Catholics who regularly frequent the Sacraments.]

II.

Second, let’s look at Mary.  Even though she didn’t fully understand what Jesus said, Mary still reflected on all these things that happened to her in her heart.  The Gospel of Luke says, “[A]nd his mother kept all these things in her heart.”  This heart of Mary, this pure Heart of the Immaculate One, deserves our attention and devotion.  You know, there’s a half-joke saying that Christmas is a time when Protestants start talking like Catholics all of a sudden because it is the one day in the year when they focus on Mary and the Nativity with love and devotion.  But to truly love the Bible, the Word of God, then we must imitate the Mother of the Word of God.  And one way to be like this Mother of the Eucharist is to come to church outside of Mass times and sit with Jesus in the Tabernacle for a few minutes.  Simply reflecting on the Eternal Word of God with the Blessed Sacrament in silent Adoration is a way to ponder the great things God has done for you in your own heart.  (Here at St. Catherine’s the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on Wednesday and Confession is available in the evening.)

Another way to grow closer to the mother of Jesus is to do a consecration or entrustment to her Immaculate Heart.  A consecration or entrustment means that something or someone is specially reserved for service to the Immaculate Heart.  Mother knows best, after all, and she knows how to make our gift most pleasing to the Baby Jesus.  Using sacramentals like a brown scapular or a miraculous medal or having a crucifix or picture of Jesus and Mary are other ways to consecrate ourselves to her heart.  St. Louis Marie de promoted that “To Jesus Through Mary” was the quickest way to holiness, to be saint! And of course, we can heed her call to pray the daily rosary as children of so great a mother with so loving a heart.

III.

Finally, let us imitate St. Joseph.  In the Gospels, Joseph was a righteous man who the Boy Jesus obeyed growing up in Nazareth.  Joseph too was righteous because he obeyed the 10 Commandments and followed God’s will through many trials.  Like him, let us too love God’s commandments and the precepts of the Church.  And just as Joseph was the silent strength and Guardian of the Redeemer and Protector of the Holy Family, we too, especially us men, are given an example of our call to defend and sacrifice.  [Depart from text with special appeal to men in congregation in light of current efforts to attack fatherhood and diabolical attempts to redefine the family according to God's plan for family.] His humility as the Patron of the Universal Church is also model for us to serve not just our families but those in need of help with not just words but with actions.  [One act of love surpasses a thousand eloquent words about love.]  Those of us who care for others that have no father figures, or those workers who provide food on the table, or caregivers of the poor and sick can follow Joseph the worker-carpenter.  St. Joseph is also called the Patron Saint of a Happy Death, which means that we can ask him for the grace to have a Christian death where we die in the state of grace.  It was said that both Jesus and Mary were present when Joseph died.  [Some mystics have said that Joseph’s dead body remains incorrupt and preserved over time in a hidden tomb under Bethlehem.]

In summary, we have looked at ways to imitate the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  May we love them with tender heart-felt devotion in our own families, our parish family, and in the universal Family of God.  Let us ask for their intercession today and until the end of time.  Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us.  Amen.

Homily #146: On Why It Is Necessary For Civilly-Married Catholics To Request Convalidation From the Church (Sermon for 14 Couples in Group Convalidation Ceremony)

(audio)

Dearly Beloved, as we gather on this glorious day, I’d like to tell this story. 

There was once a little girl walking home.  She looks down and sees a small teddy bear.  She picks up the toy and continues her walk.  As she walks, she meets Jesus.  And Jesus has a big smile.  He is also holding something behind his back. 

Jesus squats down to the little girl as says, “Beautiful child, what do you have there?”  She replies, “I found this toy on the ground.”  Jesus then says, “Can I make a trade?  I will take that little toy, and I will give you something even better.”

Not fully understanding why Jesus is asking this of her, she hesitates for a moment and says, “Do I have to?”  Jesus knows this, of course, and his smile becomes even larger.  He says, “Trust me.  My mother made it.  It’s my gift to you.”

Eventually, the little girl agrees to trade and finds out that she traded the small toy for an even larger teddy bear.  Then, seeing the love in his eyes for her, the little girl hugs him tightly and says, “I love it because the gift came from you, Jesus.”

Today, as we witness this great chapter of these couples convalidating their marriages in Jesus’ holy Catholic Church, Heaven too smiles down upon them.  But God does not give these servants of his just a large teddy bear behind his back, but rather God gives the gift of his very own divine life of grace, an abundance of grace overflowing and most pleasing to him that makes him smile, a total outpouring of blessing upon blessing not just upon the couple but upon their family tree.  In Heaven, we will one day see the beauty of their souls for saying “yes”.

In today’s First Reading from the Book of Genesis, it is written in the Word of God that the Lord cast a deep sleep on the man.  And while this man, Adam, was asleep, God removed one of ribs from his side, and from his side God formed the woman!  And the two become one flesh.  H’Adam exclaims, “Wow!  This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh!”  Nothing else in creation is a suitable partner for me except this one!  She who will contribute to my salvation in this life and the next.  She shall be called woman.  Or as the Filipinos translate this Bible verse: “Ay, nako! Siya ay maganda!  Maganda!”  She’s beautiful.  God must be a genius!

And indeed so she is, but not just earthly beauty but more importantly maganda or beautiful in her soul.  She, like he, is filled with grace.  And there is nothin’ better in this life than being in the state of grace!  There’s no price you can put on that.  When we’re in the state of grace, eternal life in Heaven is ours as our inheritance. 

Marriage in the order of creation, in the beginning, was perfect with divine friendship.  Here, we see that God himself is the author of marriage, not the state.  The state did not create marriage.  It was not created by human beings but by God.  In the plan of the Creator, in the beginning, the two are one flesh.  There is a complementarity of the body. 

But, alas, as may know, Original Sin entered the world with the disobedience of Adam and Eve.  They lost grace and friendship with God.  Marriage therefore became under the regime of sin and marriage was in the grip of the evil one.

Yet, out of his great love, however, God sent his only begotten Son into the world to save us from our sins and to rise from the dead.  Jesus, the Second Adam, restored grace and friendship with God.  And like the First Adam, Jesus also slept, but when Jesus fell asleep, he slept the sleep of death…on the Cross.

Also, just as a rib came from the side of First Adam, so too the Second Adam, Jesus, the Son of God, was pierced on his side.  And out of Jesus’ side – his rib – flowed blood and water, which represent Baptism and the Eucharist.  Christ’s only suitable partner, the Church was given life at Christ’s side.  “Ang Simbahan ay Maganda.”  We, the Church, are His beautiful Bride!  As (the 2nd Reading from) the Book of Revelation Ch. 19 proclaims, “For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready.  She was allowed to wear a bright, clean linen garment.  The linen garment represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.”

And so we see why it is necessary for the baptized members of his holy catholic church to marry before the Church’s minister: to go to Heaven!  We do not want to have just human standards of what it means to be married, but rather we are what St. Paul calls being “marriage in the Lord.  In a few moments, you will be “married in the Lord” which is being “married in the Church.”  It is a marriage blessed and redeemed by Jesus Christ. 

I recently spoke to someone who had a convalidation done last year.  He said, QUOTE “I feel so happy.  I’m at peace with God.  My conscience is clear.  I can receive Communion now.” END QUOTE    This person saw how the Sacraments give grace to him.  God instituted marriage, but Jesus raised marriage a sacrament!  A sacrament is a sign instituted by Christ to give grace.  Repeat.  For those who are baptized and married in the Lord, it is not just 2 getting married, but now God is formally or officially included in the marriage.  Marriage is no longer a mere human contract for us in the Catholic Church, but marriage between two baptized persons in the Church is a true Sacrament of the New and Everlasting Covenant.  Whereas a civil contract is 50-50 and is give and take, a covenant is 100% where one gives to the other, just as Jesus gave himself 100% to the Church, and the Church gives 100% back to Jesus. 

Also, the presence of the Church’s minister and witnesses expresses that marriage is an ecclesial reality.  This is officially or formally an action of the Church.  Speaking of having correct form, this is the reason why the Church normally requires, if at least one person is Catholic, to marry according to form in the public liturgy of the Church (cf. Catechism 1630 ff).  Even though the rings will be blessed, the consent in your will is what makes the marriage.  The consent received by the Church’s minister is the official form.  The vows are formally received. 

You know, when one of the men here today that I was preparing was given the choice to move forward or not, he chose to convalidate.  I turned said to his bride, “He truly loves you for doing this.”  She replied, “Yes, I see it.”  She sees some good in this.  Some of the goods that come from a marrying in the Church are that the marriage is indissoluble which means that it is only dissolved with death.  Another good is fidelity of the couple, just as God is faithful to his people.  Another good is that it is open to life and love.  So all the paper work, all the Form As and Forms Bs that were completed, all the workshops and copies of this or that needed, all of those to prepare you for these goods of marriage.

In closing, let us turn to Our Blessing Mother Mary.  It was because of Mary that Jesus performed his first public miracle.  In moments when we have no wine of love, no wine of energy after a hard day’s work, no wine of sacrifice or wine or time or wine of finances to pay bills, say to her, “Mary, we have no wine.”  She will say, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Do whatever my Son Jesus tells you.  Then, may we have a childlike trust in Jesus who had even greater gifts to give us.  May Jesus continue to smile on us today, as we trust his plan for us, on our journey home to Heaven, to the marriage feast of the Lamb, where it is written, “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

My Dad's Christmas Visit 2018