Grave Site Service for Our Miscarried Baby J.M.J.

Dec 28, 2021

“Mary & God’s Word of Hope for a Hurting World (Includes a Sharing of Our Own Family Miscarriage of Baby J.M.J.)” [Homily #202 on Lk. 1:39-45]

 

“Mary & God’s Word of Hope for a Hurting World

(Includes a Sharing of Our Own Family Miscarriage of Baby J.M.J.)”

[Homily #202 on Lk. 1:39-45]

by Deacon Dennis Purificacion

4^th Sunday of Advent

December 19, 2021

8 a.m. Mass

 

I

Whether it is a more popular social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or whether it is an up-and-coming social media platform like Telegram, Gab, and/or Truth Social Media, one often finds controversy.  There are posts and photos with which we are uncomfortable or simply do not like.  However, there is perhaps one area that doesn’t generate a lot of controversy, and that has to do with photos and comments having to do with one’s mother. 

People all over the world are, for the most part, proud to post photos of their mother.  Motherhood, more often than not, evokes feelings of affection and love.  Nobody messes with mother.  We honor mothers.  We put them up on a pedestal, instead of put them down.  Even big, tall tough guys respect their tiny mothers.  Everyone has a mother.  My mama wears combat boots, they say.  She is tough as nails, they say.  Nobody messes with mother. 

If we so honor our earthly mothers throughout human history all over the world in our human wisdom, then how much more important we should honor our spiritual mother, Mary, in divine wisdom!  For those of us fortunate to have experienced the unique yet sometimes imperfect love of an earthly mother, we can take comfort in the perfect love of our spiritual mother, Mary.

The Word of God shows the honor of our spiritual mother, Mary.  All Christians who love the Bible should honor Mary, the way all Christians honored Mary especially during the first 1,500 years of Christianity until the Protestant movement.  Think about this: Jesus followed the Ten Commandments perfectly.  The 4^th Commandment is “Honor your father and mother.”  So Jesus would have honored not just his heavenly Father or earthly legal father, but Jesus – who keeps the Commandments perfectly – would have “honored” his mother, Mary.  What would Jesus do?  WWJD.  Jesus would honor his mother.  If we are true brothers an sisters of Jesus, we would honor our mother, Mary, as well.    

As we light our 4^th candle on our Advent wreath in the final week before Christmas, today’s Gospel reminds us of the reason for the season: the unborn fruit of Mary’s womb will be born soon.  Remember, Jesus was conceived during the first joyful mystery of the Annunciation.  This is when St. Gabriel the Archangel opened the first line of the Hail Mary Prayer to Mary, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”  Elizabeth later had the honor of adding to St. Gabriel’s prayer, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  The Hail Mary Prayer is deeply, deeply, deeply Biblical. 

Also, it ends with, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.”  Let us learn and ponder the Hail Mary Prayer from the Bible.  And like a little child who loves and honors her, says to their mother, over and over and over, “I love you,” “I love you,” “I love you.” Or “here is a rose, and another rose, and another rose,” over and over and over again, every repeated Hail Mary is like saying, “I love you,” “I love you,” “I love you.”  “Here is a rose for you, Mama.”  “Here is a rose for you, Mama.”  A mother does not get tired of her children loving her, receiving roses again and again, and honoring her.

In today’s First Reading, it is written from the Book of the Prophet Micah, “Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne…”  The Bible says that every generation will call Mary blessed (cf. Lk. 2).  She is the Blessed Virgin.  Today’s Gospel uses the word “Blessed” three times to describe Mary.  There is cause for great rejoicing here, for “she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

And even before their birth, the unborn John the Baptist prepares the way for the unborn Jesus.  At the moment the sound of Mary’s greeting reached Elizabeth’s ears, Elizabeth described her unborn baby John the Baptist “The infant in my womb leaped for joy.”  Already, the unborn baby bears witness to Jesus in Mary’s womb.

  

II

You know, the holidays can be difficult for many people.  What is commonly considered a season of joy and happiness can also be a more intense season of sadness and loneliness.  Perhaps someone we loved died either recently or a long time ago.  Perhaps one has experienced a pregnancy and lost the baby in the womb, whether directly or indirectly, through abortion or through miscarriage, or perhaps one may not bear children when one would like to.  Or perhaps there is an empty space in our lives for someone that should be there but is not anymore. 

My family and I haven’t shared this publicly until now, but Tove Ann and I just lost our 8^th child in a miscarriage in October.  It’s been by far the most devastating loss we’ve ever experienced in our marriage and family life of 18 years together.  (PAUSE)  But the Word of God is powerful.  God’s Word is “living and active, sharpen than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12).  (SMILE)  And Mary, through the Word of God, gave us hope, and gives us all hope.  That is why even in our darkest moments in life, we can still rejoice because God is more powerful than death.  And Mary shows this.

Mary knew what it was like to lose her child.  She knew what it was like to have a pierced heart.  She knew what it was like to experience profound loss.  But, she also knew what it was like to have hope and to experience the Resurrection.

[Add impromptu note about naming one’s baby, if appropriate.  And how we named our unborn baby "Joshua Miriam Job" or "J.M.J."

Yes, the message today is HOPE as we await the coming of Our Savior Baby Jesus Christ anew at Christmas, for Christ makes “all things new.”  [It’s a message of JOY, that joy is coming into the world.  Joy is on its way.] 

“[A]nd I heard a great voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is with men.  He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” (Revelation 21:3-5)

 

 

Chaplain's Corner @ Cal Martime Vallejo