LUKE 2:41-52
I HAVE A LITTLE MAGNET –
AND YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE ALSO. IT IS AN OUTLINE OF THE CRECHE, AND IT
REMINDS ANYONE WHO READS MY CAR TO KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS. THIS
YEAR PEOPLE GOT UPSET WITH STARBUCKS BECAUSE THEY HAD A HOLIDAY CUP
THAT WAS JUST RED; THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT IT THAT SAID CHRISTMAS.
AND SOME PEOPLE INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN THAT STARBUCKS WAS TAKING
CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS. AND DURING THE WEEKS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY WE
CAN BE SURE THAT SOME OF OUR COMMENTATORS WILL LAND ON ONE SIDE OR
ANOTHER OF THIS ISSUE; ONE FEELS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NO PUBLIC
EXPRESSION OF THE FACT THAT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATES CHRIST'S BIRTH;
ANOTHER THINKS THAT GIVEN THE FACT THAT MOST AMERICANS ARE CHRISTIAN,
WHAT'S THE HARM IN REMEMBERING THAT THIS IS HIS BIRTHDAY?
BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO CAME
TO ONE OF THE SIX CHRISTMAS MASSES HERE AT SAINT MARY'S YOU WOULD
NOT THINK THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH CHRIST BEING IN CHRISTMAS; FOR SO
MANY OF OUR PARISHIONERS, THIS SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY TIME THEY COME TO
CELEBRATE CHRIST'S PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.
AND MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS
NOT KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS, BUT TAKING CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS.
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL
THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE RAISED CATHOLIC, MAYBE WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS,
STILL ARE CONNECTED TO THEIR FAITH, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY AT CHRISTMAS.
BUT WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IF WE GOT CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS, AND
INVITED HIM TO COME INTO THE OTHER THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR DAYS OF
THE YEAR. THAT COULD BE SOMETHING FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE REGULAR
CHURCH GOERS TO CONSIDER AS WELL..
WE ALL HAVE A TENDENCY TO
PUT CHRIST IN BOXES. EVEN MARY AND JOSEPH HAD THAT PROBLEM. WHEN
THEIR TWELVE YEAR OLD SON WENT MISSING, THEY LOOKED ALL OVER FOR HIM
– FOR THREE DAYS – AND WHEN THEY FOUND HIM THEY WERE SORROWING.
HIS EXPLANATION DID NOT REGISTER WITH THEM; THEY WOULD NOT BE HAPPY
UNTIL HE WAS BACK WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE – A TWELVE YEAR OLD
BOY SHOULD BE HOME, LEARNING, BEING DISCIPLINED, BEING SUBJECT TO HIS
FATHER AND MOTHER.
AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME JESUS IS PUT IN A BOX. AS HE WENT OUT ON HIS MINISTRY, HIS
MOTHER AND SOME OTHER RELATIVES CAME TO WHERE HE WAS STAYING
INTENDING TO BRING HIM HOME, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT HE WAS “MAD”.
AND IT ISN'T JUST THE PARENTS; PETER GETS UPSET WITH HIM WHEN HE
PREDICTS HIS DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THE JEWISH LEADERS. AND WHEN
LAZARUS DIES, AND JESUS DOESN'T SHOW UP FOR FOUR DAYS, MARTHA DOES
NOT EXPECT HIM TO BE ABLE TO RAISE HER BROTHER FROM THE DEAD. AND OF
COURSE THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THEM ALL; THE AUTHORITIES THINK THEY
HAVE PUT HIM IN A BOX ONCE AND FOR ALL, BUT HE RISES FROM THE DEAD.
THIS IS THE FEAST OF THE
HOLY FAMILY. EXCEPT FOR THE EPISODE WE HEAR ABOUT TODAY, JESUS WAS
ACTIVELY TAKING PART IN FAMILY LIFE FOR A THIRTY OF HIS THIRTY-THREE
YEARS.
OUR CHURCH HAS A FEW
THINGS TO SAY ABOUT FAMILIES. ONE OF THE IMAGES IS THAT THE FAMILY
IS THE DOMESTIC CHURCH. IF WE THINK ABOUT THE HOLY FAMILY, CHRIST IS
AT THE CENTER. AND YET WE DON'T OFTEN HONOR THESE IDEAS IN OUR OWN
FAMILIES. IN THE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WIFE AND HUSBAND, WE
FORGET THAT WE WERE CALLED TOGETHER BY GOD TO SHOW OUR SPOUSE HOW
MUCH GOD LOVES THAT PERSON. INSTEAD WE FIND OURSELVES EXPECTING OUR
SPOUSE TO SERVE US AND BEING UPSET WHEN HE OR SHE DOES NOT MEET OUR
EXPECTATIONS. AND OUR CHILDREN – WE GO TO A LOT OF TROUBLE, WE
FAMILIES IN LONGMEADOW, TO SEE THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE THE BEST
EDUCATION, GET TO THEIR SPORT PRACTICES ON TIME, AND WE FEEL GUILTY
IF THEY DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING THE WORLD SAYS THEY NEED. BUT HOW ARE
WE GOING ABOUT FORMING CHRIST IN THEM? DO OUR CHILDREN SEE THAT
CHRIST IS CENTRAL TO THE LIVES OF THEIR PARENTS? IS FAMILY PRAYER A
REGULAR THING? DO THEY UNDERSTAND FROM THEIR PARENTS HOW IMPORTANT
THE MASS IS? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ONE THIRD OF ADULTS UNDER THIRTY
YEARS OF AGE CLAIM TO BE ATHEIST, AGNOSTIC, OR HAVE NO RELIGIOUS
AFFILIATION. AMONG THOSE OVER SIXTY, THAT TOTAL NUMBER IS ABOUT 10
PERCENT. WE ARE NOT DOING MUCH OF A JOB IN PASSING ON OUR FAITH.
MAYBE THE FIRST PLACE WE
NEED TO PUT CHRIST INTO IS THE FAMILY FOR WHICH WE ARE RESPONSIBLE.
AND OTHER FAMILIES AS WELL; HOW CAN WE AWAKEN FAMILIES TO THE
PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THEIR MIDST?
IN THE COUNTRY OF CROATIA
WHEN A COUPLE BECOMES ENGAGED, THEY BEGIN PREPARATION FOR MARRIAGE
WITH A PRIEST. THERE IS NO TALK ABOUT EACH HAVING FOUND THE IDEAL
PARTNER. INSTEAD, THE PRIEST TELLS THEM “YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR
CROSS”. WHEN THEY GET MARRIED, THEY ARE PRESENTED WITH A CROSS;
THE RIGHT HANDS OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM ARE BOUND TO THE CRUCIFIX, AND
THE PRIEST COVERS THEIR HANDS WITH HIS STOLE AS THEY RECITE THEIR
VOWS. AT THE END OF THE VOWS THEY DO NOT KISS EACH OTHER; THEY BOTH
KISS THE CROSS. THEY RECOGNIZE THE SOURCE OF LOVE. THEY RECOGNIZE
THAT WHEN THEY LOSE THE CROSS, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT.
COUPLES RECOGNIZE HOW
CENTRAL CHRIST IS TO THEIR DOMESTIC LIFE, AND THE CROSS IS DISPLAYED
PROMINENTLY IN THEIR HOME. WHEN THINGS SEEM TO BE GOING POORLY, THEY
DON'T SEEK OUT A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR; THEY GO TO THE CRUCIFIX
TOGETHER. AND THEY SAY THERE ARE NO DIVORCES IN THE VILLAGES WHERE
THIS CUSTOM IS PRACTICED.
SO THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO
ASK WHETHER WE ARE FORMING A DOMESTIC CHURCH, WHETHER WE ARE FORMING
EACH OTHER AND OUR CHILDREN TO BE OTHER CHRISTS. WHAT CAN YOU AND I
DO TO RESTORE CHRIST TO HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE, NOT JUST IN THE MANGER AT
CHRISTMAS, BUT IN THE HEART OF EVERY FAMILY, EVERY DAY, 365 DAYS A
YEAR? JESUS WILL DWELL IN OUR FAMILIES IF WE MAKE ROOM FOR HIM.
