Luke 2:21-24. What does it take to be “Family?” For me, it means love, forgiveness, compassion, courage and sacrifice. Today we see Mary and Joseph bringing the baby Jesus to the temple to complete the purification rites according to the law of Moses. They are greeted there by Simeon, who realizes that he is in the presence of the promised Messiah, and by Anna, who has spent many years worshipping in the temple and also seems to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. What must Mary have thought when Simeon told her that a “sword would pierce her heart” even as this child was to do great things? As a mother, I am sure that every parent’s heart is pierced by a sword at some time or another. I am equally sure that every adult and child’s heart will at some time also be pierced by a sword because that is the price of love. The broader our definition of family, the more we are called to be open to suffering. We have our nuclear family, our extended family, our friends, our neighborhoods, our parish, our community and also the all-inclusive family of God. Our hearts break when we hear of tragedies even when we don’t know the people involved. We work to end violence and discrimination even when we are not the victims. The poet John Donne said it well in his poem, “No Man Is An Island.” We are all connected to each other. When Mary said, “Yes,” to the angel and Joseph welcomed Mary and the child yet to be born into his home, they both knew at some level that there would be sacrifices to make. This did not stop them from accepting what was to come. Let us all pray for our families in a special way today – living and dead, far and near, known and unknown to us, because God has called all families to be “Holy” as love abound in each home. Oh Lord bless us and our families, give us the grace to be forgiving and accepting of the fault and failings of those we love. Help us to reach out to other families who are in need. We thank you for giving us the example of Joseph and Mary and they nurtured your son, Jesu our Lord and Messiah. Amen.
DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.
Matthew 23:1-3. Of course, this could also be called, “Practice what you preach!” Today’s gospel reading gives us several directions in which to go. Humility would be another direction from the one I have chosen, but in our world today, it is so hard for children to distinguish right from wrong, that I settled on this topic.
Think of the difficulty today in teaching sexual morality to preteens and teens. I am appalled at many of the television programs that completely ignore the Scripture’s teachings and promote bed-hopping with no thought given to the damage this does psychologically to young people. Our children don’t see that there is anything wrong in that as “everybody does it these days.”
How many times have you heard parents swearing at their children for using foul language? Stealing is wrong, but it’s okay to bring home supplies from the office; lying is a sin, but I’m not going to tell you the truth if it gets me into trouble or makes you think less of me. Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. How we would hate to have that term used for us, but we all need to take stock once in a while and do a self-check. Am I a living example of how I want my children, my grandchildren, or others who know me as a Christian to live? If the answer is “no” then what can I do to make sure that what I say, I also do. Give us the strength of Lord to follow your path and also do as you have taught and commanded us to do. Amen.