Our readings on this fifth Sunday of Easter present us with the themes of dwelling places and home. We Catholics are aware that the earth is not our permanent home. We are a pilgrims on a journey of faith here on earth. We are journeying toward eternal life with God in his heavenly kingdom.
We are called to make our dwelling here on earth during this lifetime. We are to live as disciples of Christ and to proclaim God’s kingdom on our journey of faith. As disciples, we form the Church, the body of Christ here on earth. But we are also to form a domestic church in our homes with our families. Our faith is lived out each day mostly in our families in the domestic church. The words and actions of the family members form the faith of the family, the faith of the mother, father, and children. Our faith begins at home. We see this reflected in the sacrament of baptism. In a Catholic family, a child is baptized as a baby, as the parents make a profession of faith, profess the vows of their own baptism, and take responsibility for raising their child in the faith. The domestic church is to play a key role in our lives of faith and in helping us grow in holiness. The domestic home is the primary place where we are to practice intimate and selfless love of other persons.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus speak as heaven as a home that is filled with many dwelling places. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” Jesus gives us this comforting image of the eternal life with God that awaits us in his kingdom. Jesus assures us of the personal love that God has for each one of us as he prepares for those who are faithful for him a place in the eternal kingdom.
When I first arrived at Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception in the summer of 2022, which is hard to believe that it was 4 years ago, I met with Hunter Yentzen, the leader of the youth. One of the things we spoke about was adoration of the blessed sacrament. You might recall that I addressed adoration of the blessed sacrament at length in my homily last week. That devotion involves setting aside time to spend with the Lord’s body and blood that is present in the Eucharist as it is displayed in a special way in the church or in a prayer room in a monstrance or tabernacle. From that conversation I had with Hunter, we started adoration on the first Wednesday of each month, inviting all parishioners, but having a special emphasis in inviting our children, youth, and families. Making time for God as a family, practicing a devotion of the faith as a family, and praying to God as a family are important in the life of faith of the family, the domestic church. I want to invite you all to spend time with God in adoration. We have our first Wednesday adoration time this upcoming week from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, with confessions offered during that time as well. We have fellowship time with pizza afterwards as well.
As we think about our family as a domestic church, how I we treating our families as such? Do we pray together as a family? Do we go to mass and adoration and participate in the life of our parish as a family? We had what I consider a good turnout for the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent and for the liturgies of the Triduum during Holy Week, but many of our families and children and youth do not come to any of those liturgies. Many people who consider themselves devout Catholic never come to the liturgies of the Triduum. So, again, we need to ask ourselves if we are truly ourselves in our families as a domestic church.
As we celebrate the 5th weekend of Easter and as we hear this wonderful Gospel reading today, may we respond to this great love that God offers us by taking good, responsible care of our earthly dwellings, making our homes true “domestic churches.” In our families and in our dwelling places here on earth, may we honor and worship God with our prayers, with our thoughtfulness toward each other, and with our generous hospitality shown toward all.
No comments:
Post a Comment