The Wonderful Gift of Family

"When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." Luke 2: 40

On this the sixth day of Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  In Luke 2: 40, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for his consecration to the Lord as prescribed by law.  The Holy Family is approached by Simeon and Anna who recognize God’s Light in Jesus as gift to the world.  Simeon proclaimed to Mary “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted-and you yourself a sword will pierce-so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2: 34-35.  

When I listen to these words, I can see Mary and Joseph with a perplexed countenance as to the meaning of this message.  What were they thinking? Did they understand?  It seems that they were called to keep pondering their call in the Incarnation Mystery.  Were their hearts heavy as they returned with Jesus to Galilee?  They probably travelled on in silence and humbly resolved to fulfill God’s plan so that “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him”(Luke 2:40) and Mary and Joseph too.

The Holy Family puts before us the image of community in family living.  At Eucharist this morning, Father Joel shared that “life begins in family.”  It is in family that we learn to live, love, and share our inner life with others.  Our immediate family life molds us to generate extended family life, either in married life or religious community life.  As I took time to thank God for my parents and my brothers and sisters, a wave of beautiful memories surfaced:

My mother’s attentive, caring, presence as she watched us take our first steps,

recorded our first word,

walked with us on the first day of school,

nursed us when we were sick,

made sure we ate together as a family EVERY night,

went to bat for us if there was a teacher-student conflict,

sacrificed her own needs so that we would have school clothes and books each year, 

hosted our birthday and graduation parties,

travelled with me when I entered the Monastery,

sat as Mother of Sorrows as two of my brothers lay dying,

and the list goes on and on. 

In other words, whenever there is a family celebration, whenever there is an unexpected or sad event, she has been right there with her heart wide open in love.

My parents on their Wedding Day
What were they pondering within their hearts?

I think of my father also, always faithful to his parental duties in our early years as he supported my mother in the raising of nine children,

diligently worked to support us,

insisted we be on time at the supper table,

helped us with homework,

took us on family outings such as the circus, the zoo, drive-in movies in the family station wagon dressed in our pajamas with plenty of popcorn and soda,

and going to Church every Sunday and getting there on time to make sure we sat in our regular pew (the Cohen Family pew).

I think of all my brothers and sisters and thank God for all the love they have shown me and am thankful for all the love I have been able to gift to them.  I thank God for their part in generating new life- for bringing so many nieces and nephews into the world for me to love.  I thank God for all my nieces and nephews who are now bringing forth more new life- all the grand nieces and nephews.

Life does indeed blossom forth from the Holy Family.  In our daily prayer with the Scripture readings of Jesus' life, we are formed and steeped into the qualities needed for holy family life-love, respect, kindness, consideration, generosity, humility, obedience and sacrificial service.  How can we not follow their example of community?  How can we better grow and become strong, be filled with wisdom, and definitely know that the favor of God is upon us also?"

My own holy family life fashioned me in preparation for my monastic family life.  St. Benedict, in his Rule, addresses parameters for a holy family life in community.  He insists on punctuality at prayers and meals, obedience to the Abbot and mutual obedience, humility, proper  order of work and prayer, proper care of the sick, and correction of faults. In Chapter 72 of the Rule, The Good Zeal of Monks, St. Benedict presents an exemplary model for holy family living, whether secular or monastic:  "This, then, is the good zeal which monks must foster with fervent love: They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other (Rom. 12:10), supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body or behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another.  No one is to pursue what he judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else.  To their fellow monks they show the pure love of brothers; to God, loving fear; to their abbot, unfeigned and humble love.  Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he bring us all together to everlasting life."  (Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 72: 3-12.

What else is there to say about the wonderful gift of family?  There is probably so much more, but the important thing is to thank God for all the memories, good and sad, and in this remembering, the heart is softened to continue to grow the holiness of family life.

Sacred Heart Monastery
Monastic Community
Christmas Day 2011

The Cohen Family

 "Today the Church calls our attention

to not simply the importance of family life,

but the necessity that our families be holy.

Holiness is discovered in the realization that our lives are not about ourselves,

but are meant as a gift for others.

The families that embody this radiant gift of self to each other

imitate the Holy Family of Christ."

~Fr. Robert Barron

Sermon 468

"What Makes a Holy Family"

http://wordonfire.org

What Day Is Christmas?

In my toddler years, before I learned to read a calendar or had developed a sense of time, I’m sure I must have asked my mother “What day is Christmas?”  I am sure I hear her instructive words to this day: “Christmas always falls on December 25 and it is preceded by four weeks of Advent as a special time to prepare for Christ’s birth.  We do not put up the Christmas tree, the manger scene, or any other decorations until December 15.  The Advent wreath is the only decoration for right now and we will light a candle for each week of Advent.  When the fourth candle is lighted, then you will know that Christmas is only a week away.” 

The season of Advent has always been a welcome invitation to immerse myself deeper into the Light of God’s Presence, especially in my monastic years.  I think of St. Benedict’s words from the Prologue of his Rule: “What is more delightful than this voice of the Holy One calling to us?” (Prologue: 19).  The rich liturgical readings of Advent emphatically begin with the exhortation of vigilance: “Be watchful! Be alert! ... Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming…May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping” (Mark 13: 33, 35-36).  The Isaiah readings heard throughout the weeks of Advent rouse a commitment within the heart to cultivate a contemplative preparation for the re-birthing of Christ.

“O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:5)

 “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse

And from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11:1)

 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of one bringing good news,

Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, saying to Zion,

Your God is King!”  (Isaiah 52:7)

“A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!

Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low…

Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

And all people shall see it together.” (Isaiah 40:3-5)

“Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God, he comes with vindication;

With divine recompense he comes to save you.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared;

Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.” (Isaiah 35:4-6)

These readings ignite the child-like anticipation of Christmas.  It is one thing to know Christmas is coming, but in later years, it is quite another thing to keep up the momentum of staying with the

Mystery of it all.  Although there were four full weeks of Advent this year, it wasn’t long before I started swerving off Expectation Road.  My regular horarium, ministry, and occasional assignments not on my “To Do” list, combined with Christmas preparations (prayer services, shopping, coordinating special work lists, decorating, and two unexpected out of town trips) monopolized my time the first three weeks of Advent.  With the sudden arrival of the fourth week of Advent, I was awakened from my “slumber” as we sang the following hymn at Morning Prayer:

“See how the Virgin waits for him:

Mary in wonder waits for him.

Shake off your slumber: come all full of wonder.

Jesus is coming as the Prince of Peace.

Gently she hears the distant breeze swaying the silver olive trees.

What is she thinking as the sun is sinking,

Waiting the birthday of her first-born Son?

Now a new pattern on the loom;

Now a new presence in the room.

Waking or sleeping, all her love she’s keeping,

Waiting the coming of the Son of God.

Slovak Folk Melody, Willard F. Jabusch

OCP, 1967

In the Gospel passages for the final week of Advent, Mary’s expectation and preparations for Jesus’ coming into the world took center stage.  Even though very much perplexed at her call to become the Mother of God, she resigned herself to fulfilling God’s plan in birthing the Son of God to the world.  She quietly pondered this challenge in her heart as she gratefully sang:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.”

 (Luke 1: 46-48)

For two days I pondered as Mary did the meaning of the Christmas Mystery about to transpire.  But it wasn’t long before I got busy with last minute Christmas preparations.  The words of Thomas Merton kept surfacing in my heart: “People in the world think the monastery is so calm and peaceful, but in reality, there is much activity inside these walls.” (Paraphrased, do not recall source) I strived to get all this “holy” business done so I could get back to pondering the coming of Christ in my heart, but was still quite active until the afternoon of Christmas Eve.  Midnight Mass proved to be solemn and my prayer wordless with the faith that I was embraced with the Mystery, a prayer that has no words, an unfathomable encounter with the Divine.  I gazed at the Nativity scene in the sanctuary after Mass, also a wordless encounter of the Divine, a faithful acceptance of the Mystery that must be lived daily all the days of my life.

As I awoke the next morning, realizing how tired I was, I resolved to renew my efforts in celebrating the events of Christmas day.  A few more last minute details consumed my energy in preparation for Mass, dinner, Community Christmas party, and Vespers, all beautiful, all holy, and enjoyed by all.  After all the blessed activities of the day, I was free to savor the evening hours as I relaxed in the recliner to gaze on the lights of the Christmas tree, while watching the Concordia Christmas concert on PBS.  As I went to bed, I knew I would awaken on the Feast of St. Stephen, December 26 with no specific duties and that this would be my Christmas Day this year. 

So yesterday I took time to re-read and pray with the Christmas Mass readings and contemplate the meaning of Christmas for me at this time of my life.  I came across a quote from a book, A Child in Winter (Caryl Houselander/Thomas Hoffman):

“The light from our Advent vigil now shines and draws crowds.

Our Lady keeps us connected to Advent,

But the way of the shepherds points forward-

To seek and to share what we have seen.”

(Hoffman)

 The journey of Christmas continues in the daily call of staying connected to the reality of the Advent and Christmas Scripture readings, internalizing the Word within me, and proclaiming Mary’s Canticle each evening as I pray with my Sisters.  Even though I may occasionally get distracted in following the Expectation Road, I know that every day is Christmas. Christmas is celebrated for 12 days in the liturgical cycle, but really 40 days, up until February 2, The Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.  So this being the third day of Christmas and if every day is Christmas, I still have 362 days left to celebrate the Christmas Mystery.

 

“The Christ is our dream come true.

This is the wholeness of God’s love made flesh.

He is beautiful and he is ours.

Come, let us adore.”

~Caryll Houselander, A Child in Winter