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Father Bill’s Homily the weekend of January 10th/11th….

What was the most important day of your life?  I was 18 days old on mine.  On that day, my deepest identity was determined.  On that day, I was immersed into the one meaning and the one story that would make sense out of my life. It was June 2, 1957.  On that day, I was baptized.   Every other day has been the unfolding of the implications of that one day… 

And the funny thing is, I don’t remember a thing about that day.  Everything important about that day was spoken for me.  By my parents.  By my Godparents.  Not by me.  So how could I own such a day?  How can it be for me the most important day of my life? 

Matthew gives us the hint in the voice that is spoken, not to Jesus, but to the bystanders around Jesus: “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” Can you imagine what that moment must have been for him – especially in a culture where identity comes from the family.  To be called ‘beloved son’.  To be identified to everyone around him as that beloved son.  That was the identity that moved within Jesus as he preached and taught and healed and loved.  You are the beloved Son of God.   

Notice that Jesus does nothing to earn that title.  He has not preached one word publicly yet.  Not performed one miracle.  Not begun his public ministry.  The identity, which is revealed on the day of His baptism, is a gift from God to him.  It is a given.  A given.    

It is why a date that I don’t remember anything about personally is the most important day of my life.  Like Jesus, it is a given.  I - who struggled for so long in a family of six to feel like I was important, like I was the beloved Son - I could have saved myself a ton of energy and reflection.  For June 2, 1957 disclosed my truest and deepest down identity.   

And the day of your baptism did the same for you as well.  You are the Beloved daughter.  You are the Beloved son.  That is who you are.  And because of that, Christ is your brother.  Because of that, God becomes your Father.  Because of that, the story that surrounds your life is that of love and gift and grace.   Like Jesus, we can do amazing things when we know we are loved.

And ‘do amazing things when we know we are loved” is what I see every day at Sacred Heart. 

·         You can read in this week’s pastor’s pen about your incredible generosity to our Advent Giving Tree program for the Vincent de Paul Society outreach.  And how our two schools made a difference for a boatload of people at Marygrove and St. Vincent’s parish downtown by their sacrifice for Christmas.

·         Monday night I watched as Gwen Heithaus built upon what our 2nd grade teachers are doing in the classrooms in preparing our 1st communicants-to-be, not just for an epic day, but for an epic life of faith. 

·         Down the hall, Deacon John and Jeff Finnegan were working with their parents to rekindle their faith in the gift that the Eucharist is.

·         Three/two days from now, a whole group of volunteers will change this lovely church from Christmas time to ordinary time. 

·         On Wednesday, Deacon Barbero will pray with 9 communion ministers who will bring communion to “18” of the homebound, which they do every week. 

·         Thursday night the OCIA will gather at the Philippine Duchesne campus because they outgrew the NAM room here at SH. 

·         Sunday night, Syd Fischer and her intrepid team will be forming our HS students to be peer ministers on the Luke 18 retreat. 

·         Monday night, Rita Sextro and team will be working with our 6th through 8th grade students in our Edge program.  And those are just a FEW of the ministries that your generosity supports here at SH 

I counted 41 different calendar events in our bulletin this past week alone (not even counting schools being in session and our sports teams practicing or having games).  And that also doesn’t count people making casseroles for St. Patrick Center in their homes on the 2nd Monday and 3rd Wednesday.  Nor the folks who staff the Food Pantry at BTC on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Team pantry throughout the week.  So many things that make this a city on the hill.   

And I dream of even more that could be happening if we had the support for it. 

·         I would love to expand the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd into the lower grades, so that we might have a complete continuum of faith formation from birth to death. 

·         I think of the amazing gift having a parish nurse on staff could be. 

·         I dream about a robust young adult and young family ministry to supplement what our Disciples group is already doing.

Your generosity has made so much possible currently, and can do even more.  For all of that goodness you help to bring about, I am grateful. 

This week you will receive a special brochure in the mail introducing the “Our Journey of the Heart” Program. I invite you to carefully review this brochure and prayerfully consider how you and your family can help Sacred Heart by financially supporting our ministries, furthering our mission, and reinforcing our future through your commitment to our offertory.  Pray about this for yourself/your family.  Pray for the success of this effort among all of our fellow parishioners. 

On Commitment Weekend, -next weekend, Jan.17-18- I invite each of you to participate by bringing your commitment card to Mass to join me in securing our parish’s future.  (if you forget, we will have extra’s.  And you can go online and fill out your card electronically.) At the end of the homily, we will spend a few moments together filling out our commitment to Our Journey of the Heart and bringing that to the Lord at this altar.   

What was the most important day of your life? The day of your baptism.  What IS the most important day of your life – well, that would be TODAY.  Always today.  Because today you have the chance to live out again what it means to be beloved, what it means to be baptized into the life of Christ.  We are indeed a city set on the hill and a source of blessing to those in our surrounding communities.  I am proud and BLESSED to be part of the Sacred Heart community, for these last 2 ½ years, and God willing, for many, many more. Thank you for your prayers and generosity.  And thank you for witnessing with your lives, as did Jesus, what it means to be God’s beloved Sons and Daughters.  Well done.  Well done!