Sunday Sermon and Snuggling With Sophie

“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.”

~Desmond Tutu

************

I wasn’t sure what my Sunday was going to look like. This was my last full day here with the grandchildren, so I didn’t make any plans. I just wanted to be here if they needed my help. When they decided to all go to the mall to get out of the house a while. I was asked if I wanted to come along. I opted to go to 11:30 Mass at St. Norbert’s instead. I didn’t remember the way we went last week, but thank goodness for my iPhone google maps.

It was nice to sit at church and hear that today was the Feast of the Holy Family. A special day to recognize the blessings of the family. I felt especially blessed, being able to spend so much time these past few weeks with my family.

Today’s Gospel was the story of the Holy Family going to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover when Jesus was twelve. Joseph and Mary assumed Jesus was with the others when they traveled home, but He had stayed behind in the temple. They returned and searched for Him, finding Him three days later, with the teachers in the temple, listening and asking questions. They were upset with Him…

“Son, why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

And he said to them,

“Why were you looking for me?

Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them;

and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor

before God and man.

My take on it… it is important to be obedient to your parents, and to respect them, even when you think you may know better than them. Always respect your elders.

**************************

After Mass, I stopped to light a candle for my own special family and dear friends. The church had emptied out, so I was able to take a few pictures of the beautiful altar, statues, and stained glass.

When I got back, I walked the crazy dog that yanks and pulls me every step. It was a little snowy and icy in some spots, so I had to be careful as not to fall and be dragged five blocks home.

The rest of the afternoon and evening, I tried to spend as much quality time holding little Sophie as I could.

GAMMA TIME…