Homily: Feast of the Nativity of Mary
Feast of the Nativity of Mary (2021) “The Impossible is Possible”
The genealogy of Jesus is unusual in several ways. The first thing that we notice is that the Blessed Virgin Mary’s name is mentioned at the end. The normal way that a family tree was listed was through all the men involved. Mothers were not listed.
We notice several women in the genealogy of Jesus. For instance, Solomon’s mother is mentioned in the list of ancestors. She is not called by name as are the other women in the family tree of Jesus. We remember that she was caught up in a scandal. David committed adultery with her and murdered her husband.
The family tree of Jesus was probably a lot like our family trees. There were sinners and saints mixed in Jesus’ ancestors. Most of us who now live in the United States have relatives who came from other parts of the world. Many came here to escape their past and begin anew.
We have a teaching that we hold dear in Christianity. It is the dogma of the Incarnation. We believe that Jesus was fully human as well as fully divine. We often hear it said that Jesus shared fully in the human condition. What does that mean?
One way to look at it is that Jesus’ extended family was no more virtuous or sinful than any other family. It is interesting that the Gospel writer did not hide the solicitous characters among Jesus’ family. Luke could have probably done this, but he deliberately chose not to.
It was as if Luke was saying through his writing that God’s grace can transform any situation. When we look at Jesus’ ancestry we might say in disbelief, “How could a savior have sprung from these people?” But God always likes to make what seems impossible possible to show who’s in charge.
Reflection Questions:
- How much do I know about my family history? Are there things my family did not talk about?
- Is there some twist of fate that changed my family story? What was that event and what does it say about God’s designs?
Dear Parishioners,
I received a gift of $4,000 today that will pay for the cement for the ramp that will allow people to walk down from the parking lot on 16th Avenue (where the old bank was) to the door at Culemans Hall. This will make it a lot safer. The person who made the gift wished to remain anonymous. I thank them very much.
Recently, the question has come up in some Catholic circles as to whether people can refuse the COVID vaccine because of religious belief. There are two reasons given. One reason is that in some remote way the vaccine may be tied to stem cells taken from aborted fetuses decades ago and the other reason given is that refusing to get inoculated involves freedom of conscience.
The church has spoken on each of these issues. Months ago, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that COVID vaccines are so distant from any link to abortion as to make the whole question a moot point. Issues of conscience could be a reason to refuse vaccination, but that is a personal choice and not something that can be explained by teaching of the church which clearly states that vaccines are morally acceptable.
If anyone wants clarification, they can do research at the NCCB website.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark