HOMILY – FEAST OF THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH

JANUARY 1, 2010 – (EVE AT 7PM) 10AM

 

May our Dear Lord Jesus and His holy mother give us peace.

 

We come for a blessing,  we need our mother,  God has kept His promise.

 

We come for a blessing.  It is customary in many cultures to come for a blessing.  I remember going over an Italian friendŐs house New YearŐs Eve.  My parents were glad to have us out of the house that night.  Everybody was busy getting food together to go.  To go?  I wondered, probably someone was sick and needed it?  Were we going to an extended family memberŐs house for New YearŐs Eve? 

 

No we were headed for church.  Church!  The priest gets this?  Some if it looked really good.  The fish was smelling amazing.  ŇWe come for a blessing Father.  And the priest blessed the food saying that all the food prepared by the same hands this year would be effected by the blessing.  ŇBe well and shareÓ he said.

 

We need our mother.  I have said to you many times that I go to Mary at night, and like the Pieta by Michaelangelo, where JesusŐ dead body was given to His mother, I lay in her arms after a day of trying to be faithful to you all.  Sometimes I have enough energy at the end of the day to be Mary, holding all of you, other times, all I can be is one she will love.

We need our mother, especially after a hard days faithfulness.

 

God has kept His promise.  The shepherds gathered around Mary and Joseph and adored the Lord.  Jews waited whole lifetimes without seeing the Messiah.  But in the fullness of time, He came.  0000 was the year.  We started counting time when our redemption came.  God has now waited 2010 years for us to understand more deeply what He is looking for.  He awaits our response to His coming in humble love. 

God has kept His promise, now we are responding.  This year we did a lot.  Believed a lot.   So receive this blessingÉ

The Lord bless you and keep you.  May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.  May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you His peace.

 

Blessing, keeping, shining on, gracious, kind and peaceful.

We have received, now we go and give.


Happy New Year, Mary Mother of God, Pray for us.