Holy Family Year B

 

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. In the Gospel today, the Holy Family went to the temple to present Jesus to God the Father, through the priest. We know they were poor because they offered two pigeons as a sacrifice. The more wealthy parents would offer a lamb to be given as a sacrifice, but poor people could not afford a lamb.

Joseph and Mary were obedient to the laws of the temple, which is why they brought the Child Jesus to the temple. They also would have had Him circumcised 8 days after His birth.

Unfortunately, the joy of the event in the temple was marred by the prophecy of Simeon, who said, the Child would be destined for the fall and rise of many and a sign of contradiction, and Mary’s Heart would be pierced by a sword, meaning, something would happen to the Child Jesus, that would break Her Heart. This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified and Mary stood beneath the foot of the Cross.

When Jesus came into the world as our Savior, He wanted to start His redemptive task in an ordinary simple family. The first thing Jesus sanctified by His presence was the family. Nothing extraordinary happened from His Childhood until He was 30 years old. He lived a silent life, unknown to the world, in the midst of a family. Yet, His active ministry was for only 3 years. What does that tell us, that God spent 90% of His life on earth in a family?

Joseph was the head of the family according to the law, and he provided for the needs of the family by his carpentry work. Jesus too learned how to do carpentry from Joseph. Joseph, as head of the family was also the protector and guardian of the family. He is the one the angel appeared to tell him to take his family to Egypt and later to return to Nazareth.

No one knew Jesus better, then the Virgin Mary, because She lived with Him for 30 years before He began His public ministry. Mary taught Jesus to walk, to put on His clothes, to read and write and to pray. She spent every day of Her life, like millions of other women who look after their families, sewing, cleaning, and cooking. Some wrongly think ordinary tasks of the home are unimportant and insignificant. Yet, when ordinary simple life is done out love for God, it sanctifies the family.

The Holy Family prayed together, went to synagogue together and to the temple feasts together. They followed the Jewish rituals and customs and were obedient to all the laws.

Between Jesus, Mary, and Joseph there existed a holy affection, a spirit of service, and a mutual desire for the happiness of each other forgetting about their own needs. The Holy Family is a model for families, in virtues and in doing God’s will.

Every Christian family is to imitate the house of Nazareth, a place where God is first, so that God can be at the center love that members of the family have for each other.

God must be first in every family, by making attending Sunday Mass the most important family event of the week. God must also be first at home, especially by praying together every night. Praying the prayer before meals is good, but the family should also gather each night for a short time of prayer. Each person can mention something they are thankful or something they want to pray for and then pray an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be or the family could pray the Rosary together. The father of the family as the spiritual leader of the family should lead his family at night in prayer and prayer before meals and bring the children to confession monthly. Remember, “The family that prays together stays together.”

Children should be encouraged to practice virtue and sacrificial love in the family. Parents and grandparents like brag to others about their children and grandchildren. When a child is successful, he or she begins to think their life is important, and that he or she has value and dignity. School activities can teach children self-discipline, team work, and respect.

But there is a deeper true reason for the dignity of children, and it can be obscured or lost or not discovered. Our dignity comes from the fact, that we are children of God and created in His image and likeness. Our dignity is independent of our accomplishments. And so children can think their dignity is the result of usefulness. A down syndrome child or child with a disability has equal dignity before God as other children. Their value is not measured in what they can or cannot do.

Some children are not able to do school activities, perhaps because they need to work to help the family financially. Working with a paying job, helps children to interact with adults and learn sacrifice and self-discipline.

Yet, how much more do children learn, when the child volunteers to do deeds of love for others. Such as mowing a neighbor’s yard or removing snow for free. Or volunteering at a soup kitchen or helping out at church.

Something I admire about Catholic schools, is that children are taught not only to excel in academics, sports, and the arts, they are taught to excel in virtue. They are taught to be disciples of Jesus. They learn what it takes to become a saint. In Catholic schools, they can openly pray together. They can do Christian activities and wear Christian symbols.

When I was an associate at St. Francis of Assisi in Wichita, a young boy came up to me and told me that Wilbur elementary would not let him bring his skate board to school because on the bottom of the skateboard he had inscribed a cross. In many public schools children are no longer able to sing Christmas Carols. They can’t sing Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, or even sing I wish you a Merry Christmas.

Catholic school children are able to attend weekday Masses, and so receive Jesus in Holy Communion. They have daily religion classes and learn about the history of the church, morality, the sacraments, scripture, vocations, etc…

The mission statement for Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School is "to educate and form the total person in the image of Jesus Christ.” The mission statement for Bishop Carroll High School is: “To assist parents in forming disciples of Christ who enrich the culture as stewards of God's gifts.”

Catholic schools are not exempt from problems and difficulties, because every school is like a person, each has its weaknesses. Yet there is a tremendous difference in sending a child to Catholic school verses public school, especially because a child who attends Catholic school is more apt to practice their faith better, to come to the sacraments more often, and to incorporate their faith into everything they do, because they are taught that to be a disciple of Jesus is most important, and can have a great impact to society.

Years ago, I substituted a daily Mass for the priest at Bishop Carroll high school. The Mass was held in the gym and over 70% of all the youth at the school attended the Mass. It was optional for them. They wanted to attend.

I myself never attended Catholic school. I didn’t have the opportunity because the Catholic school I would have attended closed.

Today some families are opting to home-school their children. By homeschooling, the parents follow a particular approved home-school curriculum and personally teach their children about the faith. They create their own schedule. They are able to attend daily Mass with their children. Some home-school families are able to play sports and do other school activities with schools.

In fact Jesus was home-schooled. During His life, there wasn’t public schools or private schools. I would like to encourage parents to pray about sending your children to Catholic school. I was surprised to learn that a bus comes to St. Joseph’s in McPherson every day. One of the youth from McPherson told me 40 kids come from McPherson attend Trinity High School in Hutchinson.

How blessed we are to have Eucharistic Adoration every week, where families can come to pray to Jesus together.

No matter if children attend public school or Catholic school or are home-schooled, the words of Pope Saint John Paul II call parents to take their parenting role most seriously. JPII said, "Parents are the first and the most important educators of their own children…“By virtue of their ministry of educating, parents are through the witness of their lives the first heralds of the Gospel for their children. Furthermore, by praying with their children, by reading the word of God with them and “introducing them to the Eucharistic life of the church” --they become fully parents, in that they are begetters not only of bodily life but also of the life that through the Spirit's renewal flows from the cross and resurrection of Christ.”

Today, let us pray all families will become counter cultural, and return to the basics by imitating the Holy Family, in simplicity, in love, in prayer, and in service.

O Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us, that our families may be like your family!

Christmas Miracles

  

Deep down inside our hearts many of us want proof of God’s love for us. Yet, we really shouldn’t need proof, because we live by faith.

Did you know, there are miracles that took place which involved the infant Jesus? There were two miracles associated with the birth of Jesus.

When Mary was found with Child, the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name Him, Emmanuel, which means God is with us.” But how could a virgin give birth to a child? The first miracle, which occurred nine months before the birth of Jesus, was that Mary became pregnant, when She conceived in a miraculous manner through the power of the Holy Spirit. At that moment, Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father, who always existed, took upon our human nature, as He came down from heaven in the Virgin Mary’s womb. What an astounding miracle. God became man in the womb of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

Then for nine months, the Virgin Mary carried the tiny infant, who grew from a fetus unto an unborn child ready to be born. When it was time for Our Lord to be born, the second miracle occurred in the little town of Bethlehem when She gave birth to Jesus. Catholics believe the birth of Jesus was miraculous and not in the ordinary way in which women give birth. Because Mary was not subject to original sin, as a Virgin, She gave birth without any labor pains and in a miraculous manner, without the normal opening of Her womb and so Her virginal integrity was kept. It’s believed Jesus miraculously came forth from Mary’s womb and into Her motherly arms. It was the first time in human history, the face of God could be gazed upon by human eyes. It was the first time God could be physically touched and even held within the arms of His human creatures.

There have been miracles on Christmas in the lives of the saints. For example, St. Francis, St. Clare, St. Faustina and St. Jerome each had a Christmas miracle.

Here is the true story of St. Francis of Assisi: In 1223, Francis made an unusual request to a landowner. He wished to recreate a live Nativity scene of Bethlehem for the townspeople. What better way, Francis felt, to welcome the Christ Child than to actually see, hear, and feel the harsh and poor conditions He was born into. With the permission of the local Bishop, he created an re-enactment of the Nativity of Jesus.

A manger was set up in a cave on the hill, fresh hay was scattered around, and a donkey and ox were brought up to complete the scene. A simple altar was erected beneath it, and he laid a wax figure of the Holy Infant.

Francis, who was a deacon, assisted at the Midnight Mass. When St. Francis was standing near the priest by the altar, at the moment when the bread totally and completely changed into the Body of Christ, as the priest said the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “This is my body, which will be given up for you”, there in the arms of St. Francis appeared the baby Jesus for all to see. The baby Jesus smiled at Francis and stroked his cheeks that were wet from weeping. Francis sighed deeply and was overcome with joy. From that time on people began to build small nativity scenes to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Just as St. Francis created a nativity scene.

St. Clare started a cloistered religious order of nuns, who would follow the life of St. Francis of Assisi. One Christmas night, Clare was too sick to attend Christmas Midnight Mass. All the other sisters, except Mother Clare when to the chapel to Mass. As Mass began, suddenly in the room of St. Clare there appeared to her the Mass on the wall. She was able to see the Mass, to listen to the sisters sing Christmas hymns and heard the sermon of the priest. After Mass, when the sisters returned to Clare’s room, they wanted to console her, because she was unable to attend Mass, but she confided everything she saw in her room and told them the words from the priest’s sermon. That is why today, she is the patron of television.

Once during Midnight Mass, St. Faustina had a vision of the birth of Jesus and this is what she saw, she said, “When I arrived at Midnight Mass, from the very beginning I steeped myself in deep recollection, during which time I saw the stable of Bethlehem filled with great radiance. The Blessed Virgin, all lost in the deepest of love, was wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes, but Saint Joseph was still asleep. Only after the Mother of God put Jesus in the manger did the light of God awaken Joseph, who also prayed. But after a while, I was left alone with the Infant Jesus who stretched out His little hands to me, and I understood that I was to take Him in my arms. Jesus pressed His head against my heart and gave me to know, by His profound gaze, how good He found it to be next to my heart.”

In the Monitor Journal this past week, I put an article in the paper about St. Jerome and the Child Jesus. Jerome (327 to 420) lived as a hermit and worked in a cave next to the cave where Jesus was born. He was asked by the Pope to translate the bible from Greek into Latin, the common tongue of the people at that time. It took him more than 40 years.

Then, one Christmas night Jerome was praying in the holy cave. How often he kissed the sacred Crib where the Savior of the world was born for us. But all of a sudden, Oh wonder! Oh love! The night was illuminated with ravishing brightness, it shone like a radiant day. The Divine Child was there, extending His divine arms to His faithful friend. “Jerome,” He said to him, “Oh, see My poverty. To your God who begs, what present will you give? Jerome: “To You, O King of love, my heart, my goods, my life!” Jesus: “That is not enough, give Me more.” Jerome: “All that I have received from your blessed hand, all that with your grace I have been able to do for you, all my works, Lord, my tears, my prayers, my long nights of study, and my days of pain…, everything is yours, Jesus, take it for you alone.” The Divine Child: “No, I want more.” Jerome: “What is it, my tender love, that you are still waiting for? I have given You everything, I have nothing left… Speak, what do You want? Do you want me to pour at the foot of your altar, drop by drop my blood in the golden chalice?” Jesus: “No, My son, if I have left the splendors of My Heaven, it is not that I need the treasures of mortals, but I hunger to pour into souls the gifts of My love, the treasures of My grace. Destroying every obstacle, I want a divine fire to ignite them forever: Give Me your sins so that I may erase them.” Jerome was shocked. "But," he asked, "what would You do with them?" Jesus: "Give Me your sins, in order that I may pardon them all." The generosity which Jerome had shown Christ on His Birthday was more than repaid by the loving rapture he experienced upon hearing those merciful words. Jerome: "O Divine Infant, You make me weep for joy!"

Jerome died in Bethlehem, with his head in the manger where Our Lord was born. His body is now kept in the Church of Saint Mary Major in Rome, where Our Lord’s crib is also kept.

One Christmas Midnight Mass in a rural country parish in the United States, a parish priest elevated the Host after the Consecration, when the bread truly became the body of Christ, suddenly the priest saw the Host disappear and in his hands was the Divine Infant Jesus wrapped in a blanket. The Divine Child turned His face toward the priest and smiled and then turned His face toward heaven, and at that moment, red and white rays came forth from the Child’s chest and went forth up into the sky and to the heavens. It was as though His Divine Mercy illuminated the world. Then just as the vision began, suddenly the Child was gone, and the priest once again had the Host in His hands. Only he saw the vision at Mass and was taken by it all, he began to weep for joy inside his heart.

Today, let us give thanks to God for the gift of the miracle of the miraculous conception of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us give thanks to God for the miraculous birth of Jesus, which kept the Virgin Mary free from pain and virginally intact. As well as all the Christmas miracles of the Child Jesus.

Let us turn to the Virgin Mary and ask our Mother to increase our faith and to acknowledge God’s love for us, which we are able to behold every time we come to Mass when Jesus comes in the Sacred Host to give us His love. Teach us not to forget that the infant Jesus is proof He loves us and the small white Host is truly our infinite, eternal and omnipotent God.

Oh what astounding miracle, greater than all the miracles-when Jesus, through the hands of the priest makes Calvary present on the altar as bread and wine are changed into His body and blood. Is there any greater miracle on earth, than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Jesus Christ truly present in the Sacred Host? Is there is any greater proof that God loves us-- is that He gives Himself to us in Holy Communion?