Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another.
In January of 1964, Pope Saint Paul VI made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and became the first Pope to do so since Saint Peter. One of the places he visited was the city of Nazareth, the home of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In his talk that day, Saint Paul VI spoke of the School of Nazareth, referring to the town as the place in which we can learn discipleship through the charisms of the Holy Family. Today the church celebrates the Solemnity of the Holy Family. I, therefore, offer these words of Pope Saint Paul VI as a particular reflection for our own families as well as an intentional prayer for our parish community. How wonderful it would be if this parish community might be recognized as a “School of Nazareth,” too. As we continue to celebrate this season of Christmas, let us pray that others may come to understand the Gospel and encounter Jesus, Mary and Joseph through us.
Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually, we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs; in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses, and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing, some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth:
First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings; in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute.
Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognize its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
THANK YOU – We are blessed with dedicated staff and volunteers who have prepared the church for the Christmas liturgies. Thank you to John Buckel and all the Music Ministry participants who have provided us with beautiful Christmas music throughout the Advent Season. We thank the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Ushers, and Altar Servers for all their extra efforts and lastly, I express my gratitude to my brother priests and deacons whose faith and leadership cultivate the mission of the church so well.
Peace,