WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:06.320 I wish you all a Merry Christmas. You know, way 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.980 back when, in the 1600s in Massachusetts, in 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:15.859 the Massachusetts Bay Company, where the Puritans 00:00:15.859 --> 00:00:19.300 were, you know, they famously forbade the celebration, 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:25.600 well, of any holiday, including Christmas. I 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:27.339 don't want to go into the reasons why, but I 00:00:27.339 --> 00:00:30.739 think it's kind of ironic that Thanksgiving got 00:00:30.739 --> 00:00:35.039 away from them, as did Christmas. I'm so grateful 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:39.880 that we have in the church 40 days to prepare 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:45.359 for Christmas, spiritually to prepare, materially 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:49.539 to prepare, in every way to prepare a fast. And 00:00:49.539 --> 00:00:51.960 then Christmas comes, and we have these 12 days 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:55.219 from Christmas to theophany to celebrate. It 00:00:55.219 --> 00:00:59.479 doesn't just end. It warms the soul, this celebration. 00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:04.840 It keeps the message of salvation and God's love 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:09.599 in front of us. But brothers and sisters, these 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.239 12 days of Christmas, to honor them, to focus 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:14.920 on them, to celebrate them, the various saints 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:18.140 and events, it takes an intentional spiritual 00:01:18.140 --> 00:01:22.060 act to do it. It can get away from us very quickly, 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:25.540 and pretty soon it's all over. And as Father 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:29.090 Michael... related in a sermon that he gave once, 00:01:29.269 --> 00:01:31.810 talking to his neighbor, who said, I'll have 00:01:31.810 --> 00:01:34.010 Christmas, but when it's over, it's a downer. 00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:38.969 And Father Michael tried to tell this man, you 00:01:38.969 --> 00:01:43.930 need to learn how to celebrate. But we all need 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.150 to learn how to celebrate because we all have 00:01:46.150 --> 00:01:50.650 a little of that Puritan in us. Well, today, 00:01:50.750 --> 00:01:54.569 on this seventh day of Christmas, this leave 00:01:54.569 --> 00:01:57.909 -taking of Christmas, We celebrate the memory 00:01:57.909 --> 00:02:03.030 of the righteous King David, who was the prophet 00:02:03.030 --> 00:02:07.030 and psalmist. We celebrate the righteous Joseph 00:02:07.030 --> 00:02:12.009 the Betrothed, whose icon is right here. And 00:02:12.009 --> 00:02:15.530 James, the son of Joseph, called the brother 00:02:15.530 --> 00:02:21.030 of God. Let's consider briefly just the righteous 00:02:21.030 --> 00:02:26.280 Joseph. Tradition tells us that this man, was 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:30.340 chosen by God. He was chosen in a gathering of 00:02:30.340 --> 00:02:34.139 elders. He would rather not have taken on this 00:02:34.139 --> 00:02:38.300 responsibility. He said no at first, but he was 00:02:38.300 --> 00:02:42.340 chosen. And he would be the guardian of the Virgin 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:45.419 Mary and eventually the guardian and protector 00:02:45.419 --> 00:02:52.960 of the infant Jesus Christ. This was a man who 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.949 was a widower. Apparently he had four sons and 00:02:56.949 --> 00:03:01.289 three daughters already. There's a whole family 00:03:01.289 --> 00:03:04.330 tree that's incredibly interesting there. For 00:03:04.330 --> 00:03:08.389 example, Salome is one of his daughters. So by 00:03:08.389 --> 00:03:11.990 the time he became the guardian of the Theotokos, 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:15.610 by the time the birth of Jesus Christ happened, 00:03:15.689 --> 00:03:20.189 he was already quite old. Some say 80. The Gospel 00:03:20.189 --> 00:03:24.780 says just a little about him. But what it says 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:29.979 is very important. There's a lot in that little. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.240 For example, when the virgin was found to be 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:37.360 with child, the gospel tells us that Joseph had 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:40.659 doubts. In other words, he was assailed, assailed 00:03:40.659 --> 00:03:44.159 with what the Holy Father's called logismi, that 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.330 is intrusive, persistent. thoughts prompted by 00:03:48.330 --> 00:03:50.530 the devil. If you look at the icon in the center 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:53.069 of the church, there's a little old man, a little 00:03:53.069 --> 00:03:59.530 like shepherd guy, talking to him. This is what 00:03:59.530 --> 00:04:02.430 I'm talking about. Thoughts prompted by the devil. 00:04:04.090 --> 00:04:08.909 But an angel comes to Joseph. An angel comes 00:04:08.909 --> 00:04:12.270 to Joseph. How can that happen? This isn't common, 00:04:12.389 --> 00:04:18.610 is it? Because this man's heart was pure. Because 00:04:18.610 --> 00:04:22.889 this man was all about sacrifice and love of 00:04:22.889 --> 00:04:27.930 God and neighbor. His spiritual eye was clear. 00:04:29.689 --> 00:04:34.250 And he was instructed to take the child and his 00:04:34.250 --> 00:04:36.949 mother into Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod. 00:04:37.910 --> 00:04:43.060 Here we see a man, 75, 80. in obedience to the 00:04:43.060 --> 00:04:46.259 word of God, embarking on a very difficult journey 00:04:46.259 --> 00:04:50.819 at a very difficult time, long journey, by foot, 00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:56.800 aided by his son James, the brother of the Lord, 00:04:56.860 --> 00:04:59.519 the stepbrother. What's the lesson or the lessons 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:03.439 we might learn briefly? Well, first, it occurs 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:08.939 to me that we should use St. Joseph, those of 00:05:08.939 --> 00:05:14.120 us that are fathers, For remaining faithful in 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:19.079 what? Not just the obvious things. Faithful in 00:05:19.079 --> 00:05:24.959 sacrifice for and with our wife and our children. 00:05:25.540 --> 00:05:29.100 They are gifts from God to us, gentlemen. They're 00:05:29.100 --> 00:05:33.839 gifts. We didn't earn it. We may have wooed a 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:38.600 little bit and fallen in love, but it came by 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:41.790 the grace and love. and providence of God. And 00:05:41.790 --> 00:05:44.689 we ask a blessing and we move forward. And we 00:05:44.689 --> 00:05:47.610 have to live in that blessing and in the grace 00:05:47.610 --> 00:05:50.110 of the Holy Spirit that was given to unite us 00:05:50.110 --> 00:05:55.990 to our wife, to make two one flesh. You'll be 00:05:55.990 --> 00:05:58.290 exhausted, but you will gain the crown in the 00:05:58.290 --> 00:06:02.089 kingdom of heaven. And that will happen after 00:06:02.089 --> 00:06:07.439 faithful and steadfast labor. God inspired. God 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:11.420 -first labor, protecting the faith of the family. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:15.339 How? Not by authoritative means, gentlemen. That 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:20.899 will not work. That's Herod's way. He was afraid 00:06:20.899 --> 00:06:23.339 because wise men came from the east and said, 00:06:23.420 --> 00:06:28.139 this star, it tells us congratulations that a 00:06:28.139 --> 00:06:31.160 king has been born. And Herod was afraid and 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:35.519 all Judea with him. And he instituted his... 00:06:36.089 --> 00:06:39.949 terrible, terrible massacre. Back in those days, 00:06:40.110 --> 00:06:44.350 you know, you didn't hide the massacres. You 00:06:44.350 --> 00:06:50.509 celebrated them. It won't work to be authoritative. 00:06:51.310 --> 00:06:55.730 We have to be humble. Now, don't talk to my wife 00:06:55.730 --> 00:06:59.089 about my own attitudes, please. I'm telling you 00:06:59.089 --> 00:07:03.639 what I know from those. that are truly blessed 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:07.439 in this area. Be humble, gentlemen. You're protecting 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:11.920 the faith first in your own heart. You may be 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:16.120 assailed by Logi's me, by thoughts from the evil 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:21.339 one, intrusive thoughts. You have to learn to 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:24.240 discern. Like that bumper sticker, that famous 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:26.459 bumper sticker I'm always telling you about that 00:07:26.459 --> 00:07:30.040 says, don't believe everything you think. It's 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:34.250 not always true. especially in the spiritual 00:07:34.250 --> 00:07:38.329 life. Learn how to discern so that your conscience, 00:07:38.670 --> 00:07:42.250 which is not, Father Victor Sokolov once said 00:07:42.250 --> 00:07:45.449 to me when I said to him, the light and ever 00:07:45.449 --> 00:07:47.350 memorable, I said, well, Father, he was just 00:07:47.350 --> 00:07:50.610 following his conscience. And he said, your conscience 00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:56.129 can be wrong. Jeremiah the prophet says about 00:07:56.129 --> 00:08:00.079 the heart that it can be very duplicitous. You 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:02.800 don't follow your heart. That's not in the scriptures. 00:08:04.100 --> 00:08:07.139 Let your conscience be purified by your fasting, 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:10.319 your prayers, your attendance at church, your 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:12.779 love for God and neighbor and works of charity, 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:22.300 your humility. Secondly, dear seniors in our 00:08:22.300 --> 00:08:29.019 parish, I'm in there, in that group now. St. 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:32.500 Joseph was called upon at an advanced age to 00:08:32.500 --> 00:08:37.700 care for what would be the church, Christ and 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:41.399 his mother. Those of you that are seniors, elderly, 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:43.659 thinking maybe you've done it, now you can rest 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:47.600 on your laurels. No, now is the time for the 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:51.960 final push to gain spiritual wisdom and spiritual 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:55.320 reading and prayers, especially in attending 00:08:55.320 --> 00:09:00.370 church services. participation in the life of 00:09:00.370 --> 00:09:04.870 the parish, and care for the church. Encouragement 00:09:04.870 --> 00:09:08.490 to the young and the catechumens because you've 00:09:08.490 --> 00:09:11.409 been around for a while. And again, rejection 00:09:11.409 --> 00:09:15.610 of those intrusive thoughts to nourish and nurture 00:09:15.610 --> 00:09:21.330 holy thoughts. Trusting in the Savior that we 00:09:21.330 --> 00:09:27.980 can all do that. And finally, The fact is that 00:09:27.980 --> 00:09:32.259 serving our Lord and God and Savior, let's say 00:09:32.259 --> 00:09:35.840 just being faithful to Christ, and we heard all 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:39.399 about that in the epistle last Sunday, that's 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:43.059 going to mean that he is Lord and master of my 00:09:43.059 --> 00:09:51.779 life. And I am not. It's Christ who lives in 00:09:51.779 --> 00:09:56.519 me. I live, yet not I. I live by faith in the 00:09:56.519 --> 00:10:00.799 Son of God who loved me. Faith is going to disrupt 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:04.179 your life, not just the outward things, not just, 00:10:04.179 --> 00:10:07.419 well, there's these services I should go to. 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:11.500 Don't think I should go to. Think, there's these 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:15.740 services for my benefit, for me to show faith 00:10:15.740 --> 00:10:18.980 and love in God, for me to be nourished spiritually. 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:25.519 There's disruption. spiritually too, because 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:28.659 there's a reorientation always, and that's what 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:33.220 repentance means, to reorient. And we can ask 00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:37.220 ourselves a few questions. Are you satisfied 00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:42.220 with your spiritual state? Please don't say yes. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:48.220 Are you satisfied with your repentance shown 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:52.940 in confession? Do you feel Your faith is being 00:10:52.940 --> 00:10:57.419 nourished. Are you satisfied with your ability 00:10:57.419 --> 00:11:01.820 to pray? Two things can happen at the same time. 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:06.559 You'll be spiritually disrupted, but you can 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:10.419 also have the peace and joy and love of God because 00:11:10.419 --> 00:11:16.139 you answer Christ in that disruption. Are you 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:20.279 eager? Are you called inside by your conscience? 00:11:21.419 --> 00:11:26.539 To serve God. Starting with receiving Holy Communion 00:11:26.539 --> 00:11:34.440 in a way of gratitude and glory to God. Do you 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:38.080 have that? If you don't, pray that God grants 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:44.259 you that gift. Are you faithful in charity? In 00:11:44.259 --> 00:11:48.019 spiritual reading? In serving God through others? 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.330 You know, all those ways. that we continually 00:11:51.330 --> 00:11:56.769 talk about. Let's ask this righteous saint to 00:11:56.769 --> 00:12:00.409 intercede for us, for he is now among the council 00:12:00.409 --> 00:12:03.610 of the saints, and God is glorified in the saints. 00:12:05.409 --> 00:12:09.049 Let me end with this wonderful prayer to him. 00:12:10.549 --> 00:12:13.169 Having heard in the scriptures of the Lord who 00:12:13.169 --> 00:12:16.549 said, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear 00:12:16.549 --> 00:12:20.149 a son, Emmanuel. Thou didst believe what was 00:12:20.149 --> 00:12:23.330 told thee by the angel, O righteous Joseph, and 00:12:23.330 --> 00:12:26.850 like a sealed book wherein the word was inscribed 00:12:26.850 --> 00:12:29.409 by the finger of the Father, thou didst take 00:12:29.409 --> 00:12:32.690 Mary into thine own house, and like a servant 00:12:32.690 --> 00:12:36.190 didst wait upon her with fear and zeal, wherefore 00:12:36.190 --> 00:12:39.990 we cry to thee, Rejoice, for thou didst set thy 00:12:39.990 --> 00:12:43.710 heart to understand the law of God. Rejoice, 00:12:43.710 --> 00:12:46.149 for thou didst open thy mind to receive the mysteries 00:12:46.149 --> 00:12:51.000 of God. Rejoice, for before all was thou vouchsafed 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:54.320 to know the great mystery of piety that God has 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.980 appeared on earth as man. Rejoice, for thou didst 00:12:57.980 --> 00:13:00.259 perceive his coming to be for the salvation of 00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:03.580 all people from their sins. Rejoice, for without 00:13:03.580 --> 00:13:06.340 doubting thou didst believe what was revealed 00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:09.279 to thee. Rejoice, for thy faith was accounted 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:12.559 unto thee as righteousness. Rejoice, O righteous 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:16.870 Joseph. the ready speedy helper and intercessor 00:13:16.870 --> 00:13:19.370 for our souls. Christ is born.