St. Maria Goretti

One of the things that I most love about little kids is their honesty. Little kids are honest about everything. Sometimes, they are too honest and they embarrass their mom’s and dad’s. But you can always count on them to tell you the truth as they see it. And this includes the fact they are honest about their fears and concerns. As we get older, we get real good at hiding our fears and worries. Kids don’t know that they’re supposed to do this. And so, when they see a mean-looking dog barking at them, they are afraid. And when a bully is picking on them or one of their friends, they know the danger. Kids are even honest about their imaginary fears, the monster under the bed, the ghost hiding behind the clothes in the closet, the demon under the stair. They are honest. As we get older, we like to pretend that there’s nothing to be afraid of. We like to think that we are in control. And so we insulate ourselves from all that is fearful, all that is bad, and all that is evil.

As modern, educated people at the beginning of the twenty-first century, we have a great deal of difficulty addressing not only the evil in our world, but also the sin. Even as modern Catholic Christians of our time, our society and our culture affects the way that we view evil. We like to pretend that evil is not real. And if it is real, we like to believe that it is far, far, away from us. Evil can exist in Iraq , or Afghanistan , or in Gary , or Detroit , or the Bronx . But it is not supposed to be in Westfield , or Noblesville, or Carmel . And if it is true that we try to run, and hide, and ignore evil, isn’t it also true that we do the same thing with sin? Nobody sins anymore. Nobody sins because we make excuses. No one is guilty anymore of anything. People make mistakes, but we don’t sin. We make mistakes because we are weak, or sick, or stupid, or we came from a bad family. We’ve always got an excuse. We know there’s evil in the world. But no one is responsible. No one is answerable for these actions. We can admit fear and depression and social pressures. But what about sin and evil? For St. Matthew, as he writes his Gospel, he is acutely aware of the spiritual combat that is going on between God and Satan. At the beginning of his Gospel, St. Matthew tells us today’s story of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt .

And notice, St. Matthew isn’t afraid to face the evil that this story is depicting. He talks about it. He tells us how Jesus, Mary, and Joseph dealt with it. The Holy Family had to face the evil of the world also. The sins of King Herod were well-known. King Herod was not a nice guy. From Matthew’s perspective, Herod is clearly an agent of Satan in his effort to crush the infant God. You gotta remember, that Herod murdered his favorite wife, and her family, and his oldest son. This prompted the Roman Emperor Augustus to write that it was safer to be King Herod’s pig, than it was to be his son. This is evil. This is sin. This is the heart of the battle between God and Satan. And it’s not looking really good for the Holy Family. Powerful, evil forces are aligned against them. Hearing this story, one might think that this little child doesn’t stand a chance. And yet, that is exactly when God surprises us in this story.

God saves His Son, His mother, and His adoptive father. By the message of an angel, He leads them to Egypt and to safety. God doesn’t ignore evil, like we might try to do. He outwits it. He outplans it. He outmaneuvers it. This is the message of hope for us today as we celebrate this Feast of the Holy Family. There is going to be real evil in the world that we have to live in. And yet, God is more powerful than that evil. God’s love is so far ahead of any of man’s sins. God’s got it taken care of. He reworked Herod’s treachery, and He can rework the greatest evils facing us too.

This is such great news for us and for our families today. God is with us in the face of our greatest fears. He knows and understands what we are going through. And He’s got a plan for us also. But first we must recognize the battle that is going on around us. God and Satan are still at war. And our souls are in the middle of it. There is sin and evil. And sometimes we get drawn into it. But there is also good, and holiness, and love, and peace, and every good thing that God desires for us and that He created us for. We were not made for war, and hatred, and divisions. We were made for unity, love, and peace. We were made not for fear, but for faith.

We need to remember this more often in our families today, and even in our Parish family. Fear can tear a family apart. Faith will bring it together and hold it together better than superglue. We must stay focused, especially when we’re dealing with evil, just like the Holy Family did. God sent them to Egypt and they went. They obeyed. They trusted. And everything was alright. We need to trust and obey also, especially in our families. It is the way that our God is going to take care of all of us and our families.

May God bless us on this Feast of the Holy Family, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… AMEN !!!

St. Maria Goretti… Pray for us !!!