Sunday, December 30, 2007

Homily, December 30, 2007

As we continue to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, our Holy Mother Church wants to reflect on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Church wants us not to lose sight of the fact that it was in the context of family that Our Lord came to us. He could have ignored family and come as an adult, ready to go, appoint apostles and establish the church; but instead he chose to come through the family and go through every developmental milestones that we go through: conception, first, second, and third trimesters, birth, crawling, standing, walking, playing, saying the first words such as “mama! Dada!,” etc.
Family is at the heart of our redemption. So, Mother Church wants to awaken us to the spirituality of family life which we all have. We are all, without exception, born and raised in a family. The church wants us to notice the sanctity of family.
So, Mother Church is today making an affirmation of our family lifestyle we lead. Mother Church wants to highlight that in and through family we can be saints. We can reach heaven and live with God forever.
By carrying out our family chores and duties everyday: giving birth to children, fending and feeding the kids, clothing them, sheltering them, buying them right sizes of shoes, protecting them against physical dangers, taking them to the doctor, putting them under your own insurance, cautioning them against moral dangers: setting curfews (limits), drawing boundaries, educating them -- just like Joseph did, we are doing God's will.

Everything Joseph did was ordered by God. “Rise, take the child and his mother to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”

“Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.” “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel...He rose, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”

Suppose Joseph himself would have made excuses not to do what it took to protect the baby, saying “that's just too much responsibility!” or “Egypt is too far!” It would have meant death to the baby Jesus. And for you children, obeying your parents is the way you will be sanctified, blessed, and filled with grace. Talking back to them is surely not one of the way to be blessed by. The first reading says, “Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them.”

“When he prays, he is heard.” “He stores up riches who reveres his mother.”
“Whoever reverences his father will live a long life.”
“Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life.” (Sirach)
“Children obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.”(Col)
Just imagine what would have happened if Jesus had said, “I don't wanna go to Egypt.” Or “I don't wanna go to Galilee.” Herod would have eaten him alive.

By choosing to be born in a family context, God sanctified family (matrimonial union), so that it becomes a grace giving institution. That is why Marriage is a Sacrament you receive everyday. It is a vehicle of Sanctifying Grace. Salvation comes in and through family. Family is a crucible of our sanctification.
a) By choosing to be conceived, Jesus sanctified the conception process.
b) By choosing to be born, Jesus sanctified child birth.
c) By choosing to be raised by human parents, Jesus sanctified child rearing.
d) By choosing to be dependent on clothing, feeding and sheltering, he sanctified     clothing, feeding and buying or building a house for our families.
e) By choosing to grow and meet normal developmental milestones, (e.g., crawling, standing still, walking, talking, including potty-training), Jesus sanctified each developmental milestone, every child meets. It says in scripture, “Jesus, for his part progressed steadily in wisdom and stature/age and grace before God and men.” (Lk 2: 52)
f) By choosing to be obedient and subservient to Mary and Joseph, Jesus sanctified children's obedience to their parents and all those whom parents designate, (e.g., teachers, pastors, and health-care professionals).
The fact that he chose to be man in the context of a family tells you how sacred family is, and how central and pivotal it is to our salvation. He even spent ten times more time of his life on earth within his family doing family business than doing public ministry.
If we live out our family life, and obligations, just like Jesus, Mary and Joseph carried out their own, we are doing God's will on us; we are obedient to God's will as Joseph and Mary and Jesus were obedient to God's will.

PROBLEM:
But as is true of everything that is sacred, Satan doesn't want to see family thrive. He attacks it like he did in the Garden of Eden as soon as said, “It is very, very Good.” Family is very, very good. He came in and poisoned them against God. Mistrust ensued between Adam and Eve. Jealousy, deceit and lies developed between Cain and Abel and resulted in murder.
Satan will poison children against their parents' ordinances and instructions. “Did your parents really tell you not to come home after six? ... No your parents know well that the moment you come home anytime you want, you will be like them, have fun and be free.” How many families have children who have broken their parents hearts by disobeying the parents. Parents raise their children in the faith, but they turn away from church.

Through the Holy Family God was trying to reverse the Original Family fate and start afresh. Satan knew this divine plan to recreate humanity in Jesus, Mary and Joseph and so entered Herod with jealousy, envy and rage. He ill not let up any moment. Even in our day, family is under assault. There are many modern HERODs.

William Bausch says that the word HEROD can be an Acronym for several of the modern Herods.

“H” stands for King Herod Heroin and his Drug culture that claims many youth to alcohol, nicotine. The No. 1 killer among youth is drug related car accidents. It kills them in their prime. Tobacco industry targets them. I have seen families migrate from one end of town to another to safeguard their own children from this King Herod Heroin because they saw drug dealing in their neighborhood streets.

"E” stands for King Herod Erotic who presents sexuality as a means of entertainment, one among many recreational activities. King Erotic prowls through TV media, pornography, lyrics, and child molesters. Parents have to lock up certain channels to protect their children from this Herod. One out of four children are born out of wedlock, that is without safeguards of Joseph's presence to ensure safety of the baby, due to this Herod. One million of those end up in abortion slaughter houses a month.

“R” stands for King Herod Rage who governs and runs the household by fear and intimidation, with the iron fist and and iron Rod. He is the one who orders “Domestic Violence”. No wonder Paul prescribed today's 2nd Reading:  “Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.”  “And over all these put on Love, that is, the bond of perfection.” “And let the peace of Christ control your hearts. ” “Husbands love your wives, and avoid any bitterness towards them.” It's because he knew about King Herod Rage/Iron Rod.

“O” stands fro King Herod Only. Only Me. Thinking of only oneself, not in terms of “US”, in terms of “family” which is a corporate entity. Only my family. Only my tribe. Only my children.
And finally,

“D” stands for King Herod Divorce Domino Effect, an arguably the most common and the worst devastating form of Child Abuse. It hurts the involved parents, but it it deals brutal blows on children. Evidence shows that divorce impacts children in perpetuity: Grades drop significantly, their self-esteem drops, and most of them will have difficulty holding relationships. Most will have their marriages also end in divorce. So, there is a domino effect. This king amplified his power by 250% just in the last 30 years.

This is in no way to blame victims of this King Herod D. It's just so we are aware that Herod is busy militating against the Sanctuary of Family—turning it into a blood bath, battlefield, a deserted desolate place.