Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God.. It is a beautiful image…this old man waiting in the temple every day, waiting for he knew not what. Well that is not quite true, the scripture says that the spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before seeing the Christ of the Lord, the long awaited messiah, the one coming to redeem Israel, impossible to fully anticipate what that would be despite the many, many prophesies of the prophets of the one to come to restore the Kingdom of God, to redeem the people. This must have been particularly difficult to imagine under the occupation of the Roman Army and the subject taxes that were demanded of all living within the great Roman Empire.
This beautiful feast of the Holy family invites us into deeply into the great mystery of God becoming man. The purification of the family at the temple, more a celebration of the purity already conceived in the Holy family, is blessed by the presence of these two elderly devout, faithful Jews awaiting the redemption of Israel, Simeon and Anna. You have to read for yourselves the long version.
In the context of this consecration in the temple, I feel a great need to address what has been called contradictory and confusing declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the faith, note not like a pastoral exhortation or encyclical directly from Pope Francis, but from the Prefect Victor Manual Cardinal Fernandez, in latin Fiducia Supplicans, note the key root word of supplications, or in English, “on the pastoral meaning of Blessings”. Despite the wisdom of a Uruguayan Cardinal who headlined by saying the document should not be part of Christmas homilies, and a young brother priest, who has responded to the questions of his people, by saying, until you have personally read the whole document, I cannot address your questions, and so we will meet on Wednesday evening to read the document together, awe for youthful zeal, but I have decided to take refuge in the Holy Family to try to bring the light of Christ to what has seemed divisive and badly misinterpreted not only by the media, but also by public statements of Bishops and priests, especially in the US, on one side attacking the document as wanting to change the doctrine of Holy matrimony in the Church and on the other extreme, statements to the effect that it is indeed a step towards such a massive change. I believe neither to be true and would like to begin with opening article or paragraph, which no one of faith can dispute.
1. The supplicating trust of the faithful People of God( that word again supplication) receives the gift of blessing that flows from the Heart of Christ through his Church. Pope Francis offers this timely reminder: “The great blessing of God is Jesus Christ. He is the great gift of God, his own Son. He is a blessing for all humanity, a blessing that has saved us all. He is the Eternal Word, with whom the Father blessed us ‘while we were still sinners’ (Rom. 5:8), as St. Paul says. He is the Word made flesh, offered for us on the cross. One could not better state the mystery of the ultimate blessing of the Incarnation upon humanity. Article 8 takes up the subject of blessings.
8. Blessings are among the most widespread and evolving sacramentals. Indeed, they lead us to grasp God’s presence in all the events of life and remind us that, even in the use of created things, human beings are invited to seek God, to love him, and to serve him faithfully.[7] For this reason, blessings have as their recipients: people; objects of worship and devotion; sacred images; places of life, of work, and suffering; the fruits of the earth and human toil; and all created realities that refer back to the Creator, praising and blessing him by their beauty. (Here I would like to interject that we have often misused the word blessing, for example I think of the southern habit of the demeaning, “bless his little heart” that proceeds or follows a criticism of someone’s behavior, most often in the juicy gossip of the beholder.(So in article 12, the prefect take on this deterioration of this great idea of blessing the Lord and all he has created. The blessing given to Abraham, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so…shall your descendants be. Article 12 continues
12. One must also avoid the risk of reducing the meaning of blessings to this point of view alone, (that it it like a reward for good behavior) for it would lead us to expect the same moral conditions for a simple blessing that are called for in the reception of the sacraments. Such a risk requires that we broaden this perspective further. Indeed, there is the danger that a pastoral gesture that is so beloved and widespread will be subjected to too many moral prerequisites, which, under the claim of control, could overshadow the unconditional power of God’s love that forms the basis for the gesture of blessing. (Here we get to the heart of the declaration. Restoring what it means for a priest, and what it means for parent, what it means for a fellow human being. to offer a blessing. Blessings cannot be seen as equal to sacraments only, or a moral approval, but solely participating in the good will of God for all of his creation. Jesus leaves this world blessing the apostles, and through the apostles the whole church, the disciples of every age.) quoting the document. “And Jesus’ earthly journey will end precisely with a final blessing reserved for the Eleven, shortly before he ascends to the Father: “And lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Lk. 24:50-51). The last image of Jesus on earth is that of his hands being raised in the act of blessing.” We like the apostles should be left in bewildering wonder at the parting blessing of our Lord. So it is mystery of which we are made aware in the cry of the psalmist, “Bless the Lord, My soul!” Article 19. In his mystery of love, through Christ, God communicates to his Church the power to bless. Granted by God to human beings and bestowed by them on their neighbors, the blessing is transformed into inclusion, solidarity, and peacemaking. It is a positive message of comfort, care, and encouragement. The blessing expresses God’s merciful embrace and the Church’s motherhood, which invites the faithful to have the same feelings as God toward their brothers and sisters. (And really the center point at the center of the document is this declaration. ) 20. One who asks for a blessing shows himself to be in need of God’s saving presence in his life and one who asks for a blessing from the Church recognizes the latter as a sacrament of the salvation that God offers. To seek a blessing in the Church is to acknowledge that the life of the Church springs from the womb of God’s mercy and helps us to move forward, to live better, and to respond to the Lord’s will. (to respond to the Lord’s will) This point is developed to the height of this simple statement. “For those seeking a blessing should not be require to have moral perfection.” No parent can ask this of their child, as in the Mexican tradition, the child is blessed by the parent each time they prepare to leave the home, are you worthy of this blessing?
Only in the third section, does the article dive into the issue of blessing same sex unions, but includes this idea in this way, Blessing of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same Sex. Irregular is a very soft adjective for all the non-sacramental unions abounding in our modern society, people living together, having children together, only civilly married, divorced, serial polygamy, all these are just as irregular as same sex unions. And so article
31, the controversial and admittedly confusing wrestling with this reality we live. “Within the horizon outlined here appears the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex, the form of which should not be fixed ritually by ecclesial authorities to avoid producing confusion with the blessing proper to the Sacrament of Marriage. In such cases, a blessing may be imparted that not only has an ascending value but also involves the invocation of a blessing that descends from God upon those who—recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help—do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit. These forms of blessing express a supplication that God may grant those aids that come from the impulses of his Spirit—what classical theology calls “actual grace”—so that human relationships may mature and grow in fidelity to the Gospel, that they may be freed from their imperfections and frailties, and that they may express themselves in the ever-increasing dimension of the divine love.” Wow! There is a universal call to chastity. Since Pope Francis shortly after his taking the seat of Peter, stated in that airplane over the ocean, “If a person is gay and seeks God’s will, who am I to judge”. Notice the Holy Father then and now, did not say, is not saying, if the person is living in an illicit sexual relationship, but rather says and acknowledges the reality of homosexuality, an attraction to the same sex, who am I to judge. Yet, the document carefully nuances this blessing…
38. For this reason, one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation. At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing. In a brief prayer preceding this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance—but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely. (And I am sorry this is long, but too important to stop in the middle.) I will end with this citation, article 41 1. What has been said in this Declaration regarding the blessings of same-sex couples is sufficient to guide the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers in this regard. Thus, beyond the guidance provided above, no further responses should be expected about possible ways to regulate details or practicalities regarding blessings of this type.[26] This is the weakness, in mind, of the document.. it assumes the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers, that is us, the priests…the document presumes the grace of this fatherly and prudent presence of the ordained in blessing the people under his care. By faith, like Abraham, we are sent forth. I need one more citation to show the doctrinal upholding of marriage between one man and one woman for the procreation of children and the unity of the family 38. For this reason, one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation. At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing. In a brief prayer preceding this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance—but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely.” I cannot count the number of homes I have blessed, prayed with broken families, who are not in a sacramental marriage and therefore not in sacramental communion.
It was painful for me but I chose the short form of the Gospel to accompany this long homily. The church, like the child at Nazareth, by the way 10 times the length of his public ministry, you do the math, the church needs to become strong, to be filled with wisdom, and the favor of God, that is to say the grace of God, will be upon the Church as it was manifested in the short life of Christ in this world.
Looking forward to tomorrow celebrating Mary the Mother of God, from the book of numbers records the blessing giving by the Lord to Moses, The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you,. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! And I promise you a shorter homily for the feast day!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ogbl#inbox/FMfcgxwLsJrrfQXcmFSnRlJgFdpqvdGc
http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20201208_patris-corde.html
http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html