Homily for Holy Family Sunday, 12/27/2009

Have you ever noticed how it’s possible to mature physically, emotionally and intellectually, but not mature spiritually?

    Don’t we all know people who have matured physically into an adult but remain emotionally underdeveloped?  Think of someone who is petulant like a spoiled child, or selfish like a narcissist. 

    Don’t we also know fully grown adults whose intellectual light never went on, and have no interest in stretching themselves intellectually - to keep learning, or keep reading, or keep thinking?

    Likewise, there is the possibility to mature physically into an adult, be mature emotionally as an adult, and be mature intellectually – even into an intellectual giant; - but remain underdeveloped in spiritual growth, remaining at the level, spiritually speaking, of a rebellious teenager.

    This kind of immaturity is rampant and is sanctioned by the group-think of our society as being “enlightened” and no longer trapped by those absurd myths people were force fed while they “grew up Catholic.”

    Come now, let us set things aright.

    What sense does it make to reject the wisdom of our ancestors who faced much more difficulty than most of us face?  What kind of maturity is it that goes in search of things Eastern without really knowing our own faith beyond that of a seven year old when prepared to receive 1^st Holy Communion?

    Is it not an adolescent reaction, spiritually speaking, to prefer the mindset of our unbelieving peers who mock that for which martyrs have died?  Is it not an act of intellectual hubris to think that we are more enlightened than those who have gone before us, those who walked by faith, the faith of our fathers – and mothers?

    What kind of spiritual maturity is it to kill our consciences when they cry out to us that we have done wrong?  What kind of spiritual maturity is it to deaden our consciences by repeatedly sinning in the same way until there is no longer a chirp of self reproach on the morality of our choices?

    Let’s look at this feast of the Holy Family to learn something about spiritual maturity.

    It is indeed an act of spiritual maturity to question our faith, just as Jesus did as a 12 year old.  And, like Jesus in the Temple, it is a mark of maturity to discuss those questions with people, who really know what they’re talking about, who really know and understand the ancient faith of our ancestors.

    Parents, learn from this 5^th Joyful Mystery, the Finding of the Lord in the Temple.  Be like Mary and Joseph who raised their son with profound respect for the practices of the faith. If you want the respect of your children for what you hold to be true and oh so valuable, then be careful about how you talk about your own parents.  And be careful how you talk about your parish, your father – that is, you parish priest.  And be careful how you talk about your Mother, the Church. 

    The Scripture we heard earlier from Sirach said: “God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.”  As soon as we undercut these father- and mother- images, we also undercut our own authority as parents.

    A spiritually mature adult would look at the quirks, the failings and even the outright sinfulness of fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, priestly fathers, and other members of our Mother the Church and know the beatitude of “Blessed are those who mourn, they will be comforted.”  If you deal kindly with your own parents and the Church-family’s fathers and mothers, then your own lineage will not only keep the faith, but they will be kind to you in your later years as well.

    “My son, my daughter, take care of your parents when they are old; grieve them not as long as they live.  Even if their minds fail, be considerate of them; revile them not all the days of their lives; kindness to a parent will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins - a house raised in justice to you.”