The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Lectionary: 17

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Thrice in today's gospel we hear references to the Law of Moses, which Saint Luke calls, "the Law of the Lord;" and all three citations stress the Holy Family's obedient observance: 

• "...just as it is written in the law of the Lord," and
• "...in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord."
• "When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord..."

We should understand that Joseph and Mary took their religion very seriously and observed it closely. This particular custom of "presenting him to the Lord" entailed a major sacrifice for the young couple. They had to give their firstborn son to the Temple, and then purchase him back. The wealthy might redeem their pride and joy for a heifer or a lamb; the poor were allowed a lesser donation of doves or pigeons. In any case, God claimed the child for his own; and then graciously allowed them to take him home to raise him properly. 

Hypocritical, cynical, or secular persons might laugh off the symbolic gift of their baby son to God: but the Holy Family, like all devout souls, took it very seriously. Just as Catholic parents symbolically drown their babies in the water of Baptism and receive them purified, sanctified, and elect in God's sight, this Jewish couple received the Son of God into their home with renewed reverence. 

As I read the life and writings of Saint John Henry Newman this past year, I noticed how seriously he took religion. In the nineteenth century, he saw among his fellow Anglicans increasing secularity and a growing dismissal of religious obligations. While many still claimed allegiance to "God and King," and observed the important rites of baptism and burial, religious observance was more formal than faithful. It had little impact on the values which guided public discussion. 

I majored in English literature, and I remember few references in the classic English novels to Anglican church, prayer, or Communion. In Dickens' famous Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge's conversion propelled him to the market to purchase a turkey, and not to the church to confess his sins. The young Jane Eyre was fortunate to escape the religious orphanage and the rule of a pious maniac. Charlotte Bronte does not suggest Mr. Brocklehurst was a pedophile but, given what we now know, you have to wonder.  

In our time, religion is not simply dismissed; there is a deliberate attack upon it. Many in the Twelve Step movement insist that their meetings are not religious but spiritual. A growing number of people say they are SBNR -- spiritual but not religious. They often impute religious people as smug, arrogant, and unfriendly despite the eager welcome that nearly every church extends to the occasional visitor. In either case, the "nones" feel neither need nor interest in any religion.   

Is there something wrong with being religious? Should we have to defend our first amendment right to practice our faith? Should we anxiously fear losing the right as gun owners fear losing their absurd weapons?

The Covid epidemic will be remembered as a turning point in our personal and communal life. By the time a new normal emerges, not many will resume the old practices. This crisis is an opportunity to reconsider the impetus that drove our old ways of thinking. Along with our faith, we might take another look at religion. 

If you are convinced as I am, that we should regard the pandemic as a divine invitation to "turn away from sin and live by the Gospel!" you will dismiss technological fixes and chemical cures for our sickness. They might create a vaccine for Covid-19 -- and that's a good thing! -- but there is no vaccine for the political polarization, the racism, and the misguided notions of freedom which made the virus more virulent. No vaccine can inoculate us against the cynicism that intentionally put an incompetent in the White House.

Spending more on the military will not stop epidemics, neither will more entertainment media, computer games, sporting spectacles, or designer drugs. The next big thing might promise to change the world again, but it certainly will not penetrate the roots of Original Sin. 

Nor will insipid expressions like "Love" make a difference. It's time to reclaim the value and reopen the sealed doors of religion. 

Let's say that someone you love and intensely admire says, "I am going away but I want to stay in touch. Here is a very expensive fountain pen and I want you to write letters to me daily telling me about your life and adventures. Don't write to me with a ballpoint pen, or pencil; nor with a computer or typewriter. I will read nothing but letters written with this pen!" 

Because you love and admire that person intensely, you will accept the pen, use it wisely, and guard it carefully. You won't misplace or lose it; you will keep it clean and ready for daily use.

I am saying our Catholic religion is like that valuable pen. Some well-intentioned people would replace religion with entertainment. They think the same values can be conveyed persuasively when the audience is amused. They're convince that the very people who are desperately hungry to learn and practice a worthy religion, will turn away if they're not thrilled, exhilarated, or elated. 

But entertainment taints the message, turning it to something less than pure. Entertainment is about the fickle desires of the audience; religion worships wholesome. We not only cheapen our faith, we insult the integrity and intelligence of God's people when we entertain them with our priceless truths. 

When Simeon took the Child in his arms and blessed God he wasn't entertaining Joseph and Mary, nor were they tickled by the old man's antics. When Mary pondered these things in her heart, she wasn't thinking how funny they were. 

Let us announce God's majesty and reclaim our human dignity through the practice of our religion. Let us take seriously the obligation of weekly attendance at Mass and daily prayer, in season and out of season, whether it excites us or leaves us unmoved. Religion is like food; I don't eat it for entertainment; I eat it as I prepare to serve the Lord.