They Always Said ‘Yes’
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
December 30 – 31, 2023
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
This weekend Holy Mother Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. Why do we call the Holy Family holy? Well, as the great theologian of this parish, I will tell you. We call them holy because they had no sin. I went to school for that! We know as an article of faith and dogma that the Blessed Mother was without sin. Now tradition, with a small “t,” has it that Joseph was too. That has not been defined by Holy Mother Church. We don’t know that as a matter of faith, but Saint Alphonsus Liguori talks about that in his book, “The Glories of Saint Joseph.” So how is it that they were without sin? Because they never said “no” to God. They always said “yes.” Some of the things God asked them to do seemed incredibly odd. Mary was told, “By the way, you are going to conceive a son without a husband, bear Him, and He will become the king of Israel. How does that work for you?” Back then, that could have been a death sentence. Great. Thanks! Saint Joseph was told that his fiancé was pregnant by the power of God, and he was going to marry her anyway. Are you okay with that? I’m sure that went over well with Joseph, but he said “yes.” His mind was not clouded by sin and the effects of sin.
Saying “yes” to God was not always easy. God told Joseph to take Mary and go to Jerusalem. So, using the Shoe Leather Express, they walked to Jerusalem. There was not a Stanly County transportation system or SCUSA back then. Nope. They had to walk. God said, “By the way, Joseph, Herod is going to try to kill the Baby. So, take the Child and go to Egypt.” So, they again took the Shoe Leather Express and walked to Egypt. Scripture never quotes Joseph. He never said, “God, I’ve got a better way.” He never said anything, but he always immediately did what our Lord asked him to do. So did Mary, and she treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19). So, he took Mary and the Child and walked to Egypt. A couple of years later, they walked back to Nazareth. Joseph had strong legs and a good heart. He always said “yes,” never questioning what our Lord asked him to do. Mary also never questioned Him. The difference between them and us is that when God asked Joseph and Mary to do something they always said “yes.” But when He asks us to love Him and to keep His Commandments, we try to negotiate: “Uh . . . What do you mean by ‘all the Commandments?’ How about 7 out of 10 . . . does that work for You?” “Do You grade on a curve?”
God made male and female (Genesis 1:27). Geniuses think they can read Scripture. “Well, what does that really mean?” It means what it says. “But we are trying to improve things.” We always want to change things. That’s why Mary and Joseph were holy. They did what our Lord asked, and it wasn’t always easy. The Catholic opera laments, “Oh! It’s so hard to go to church! Oh my goodness, I might miss a sale at Walmart!” Really? You have a nice clean car to come to church. Joseph and Mary used the Shoe Leather Express to go to the synagogue. Joseph was a carpenter and a skilled artisan but that was before the era of Black and Decker power tools. It was bull work. We have running water while Mary had to go get the water. Have you ever pulled a full bucket of water up 30 feet? Do you know how much a gallon of water weighs? Yeah, that’s some upper-body work. There was no refrigerator and no air conditioning. It’s very warm in Palestine, trust me, it is very hot there. So, it was not easy. Saying “yes” was difficult. But Joseph and Mary renounced their will for the sake of God. And that’s how we become holy, by renouncing our will for the sake of God and saying “yes.” Even with our modern conveniences, it is difficult. We need to silence the thoughts in the back of our minds, “Yeah, I’ll be obedient, but I’m doing it anyway.” Joseph and Mary always had Christ in them, with them, around them, and at the center of their lives. Their focus was always on our Lord. You may be thinking, “Well, He was there physically with them.” Yes. He is also physically here with us. He is there in the Tabernacle. That’s why we genuflect and talk in hushed tones here in the church. He is physically here and in you when you receive the Sacraments.
Always bring something home, either the messenger or the mess. It’s your choice. It’s our choice. We are so careful about Covid, the flu, and RSV, however, but we need to be more careful about sin. If you want to be holy imitate the example of holiness. “Well, Father, Joseph and Mary were without original sin, so it was easy for them.” Yes and no. Remember, the reason our first parents, Adam and Eve, were kicked out of paradise was because they wanted what they wanted and not what God wanted. Even though they saw God, walked with God, and talked with God, they still faltered. They said “no.” They had only one thing to do, and they said “no.” Joseph and Mary dealt with the same temptations as Adam and Eve. But everything they did was for God and the welfare of the other. Joseph for Mary and Mary for Joseph. It may be harder for us because of the effects of original sin and our sins committed after baptism, but God affords us greater grace when we say “yes.” I was reading last night about the head of the Dominican Order of Priests in Portugal. He said that when a child is afraid, the child runs to his mother; but when a child is in danger the mother runs to her child.
So be holy by having Him at the center and focus of your life. When the mother of Saint Teresa of Lisieux came back from receiving Communion, Saint Teresa who was not old enough to receive it, would lay her head on her mother’s lap. Her mother asked Teresa why she was doing that, and Saint Teresa said, “Because Jesus is inside you.”
How will you apply this message to your life?________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.” Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at ola.Catholic.Church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”