clergy family day

These past days we have been bombarded with a reality in our faith which we beautifully wrap in theology calling it the incarnation; it is the same reality expressed more beautifully in poetry et verbum caro factum est; still the same reality draped further in mystery calling it the kenosis, the self-emptying of God; and still the same reality this time revealed to all men and women calling it thus the Epiphany.

This is the same reality expressed in so many ways, in its many different facets, many times in ways not so many could clearly understand.  And yet it expresses a very simple reality, the reality that Jesus came and was born into a human family.  He has a mother Mary, Joseph is known to be his father, he has grandparents, he has cousins and relatives which the gospel calls his brothers and sisters indicating that they are not just your usual pariente but persons he considers family, persons, we can say, he has strong feelings for.

Like all of us Jesus grew up in a home.  I presume that when the gospel says “he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them . . . and he increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people,” I presume that this would include discipline, values, prayers, most probably the rudiments of communication, good manners, a particular world view, and most importantly the non-verbal assurances of love and acceptance.  I presume that when Jesus said “which one of you fathers would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish,” he could have learned this only from the tender love and care of his father Joseph.  It is therefore no small thing when the church asks us to kneel at that point in the creed when we profess this reality.

Many times we say that we are products of our seminary formation.  Indeed we are.  But there is something more basic, more foundational, and that is our formation in the family – there is so much of our fathers and our mothers, of our family in us today, for good or for ill.

This is the point of the on-going-formation of the clergy in calling this Christmas gathering with our family – it is to resurrect the memories, the feelings, the emotions, the lessons associated with our family.   

Are they not here with you?  It’s ok, relax this is not a PPTA meeting.  The point is to get in touch with who we are today because of our families, because to effectively evangelize families, we have to get in touch with our own – to value greatly, to appreciate more profoundly, and perhaps even to forgive and to heal.

But of course it is an added benefit that we are here today with our families.  I know for many of us it took a lot of convincing. And for many of us priests we are the ones who need more convincing, that our parents and relatives in reality like this gathering more than we do.   Just consider for one the excitement to come back to the place even just to recollect the sacrifices they made for us in this place.

I really appreciated it when my mother died and brother-priests came because as it is said, "the mother of a particular priest is also the mother of all priests." Fine, now  I hope we don’t limit tu madre es mi madre  tambien only in funerals, but also and most especially in happy occasions such as this when we can still have the time and the faculties to know and appreciate each other. Our parents, brothers and sisters deserve better.

When Pope Francis was asked by a journalist why is it that when he travels he carries with him a bag.  The content of his bag he revealed are his breviary, a book, the agenda for the meeting and a shave.  So why bring a bag as a pope.   His answer, “I always travel with my bag: it's normal. But we must be normal ... I don't know ... it's a bit 'strange what you are telling me, that that picture of me carrying a bag has been going around the world. But we have to get used to be normal. The normality of life.”

And so let’s go on with the party with our family.  I assure you its normal, and I think we can be more compassionate as priests when we are more normal.