Reflections on Father Moreno’s Homily December 26, 2010
Father Moreno recalled the chaos and fear that ensued when he was a boy in Carlsbad, New Mexico during the time of the flood.
The flood waters were rising; everyone was shouting, “Get out! Get out!”, his mother was gathering all her children like a mother hen, the National Guardsmen were telling everyone they had to get out now.
Father Moreno told us he always speaks about his mother because his father died when he was two (2) years old.
All of a sudden he remembered his monkey, the kind made out of socks, so he turned around and started going toward the house but his mother pulled him back and he never saw his monkey again.
They were fleeing the destruction of the flood waters; likewise Joseph, Mary and Jesus were fleeing from the impending destruction of Herod.
An Angel told Joseph in a dream to flee because Herod wanted to kill Jesus.
The Holy Family was obedient to God; likewise all families must be obedient to God.
Joseph was obedient because he was a righteous man, a man of prayer and therefore was able to hear and understand when the Angel spoke to him in a dream.
A holy family is one who prays together through triumph and tragedy, always discerning the will of God.
The Lord speaks to us.
Like Joseph gets up immediately and goes, we must also be obedient and get up and go immediately.
Obedience does not mean slavery; obedience means to hear, to listen and to love.
We must listen to God in love.
The Holy Family migrated to a place unknown; our spiritual migration is to the desert to hear the voice of God.
We must abandon ourselves to God because sustaining life comes only from God.
Obedience requires trust.
Fear questions everything; questioning is different from discernment.
The best Christmas gift parents can give to their children is to teach them to pray, to trust and to love.
Father Moreno compared Joseph and Herod: Joseph protected his family, was obedient, listened and heard God; Herod was only out for himself, murdered his three (3) sons because he was afraid they would take over his kingdom, always had to be number one.
Father Moreno asked, “Are we a Joseph or a Herod?”
Are we like Herod: egotistical, egocentric, doing only what makes us happy?
Are we like Joseph: obedient to the point of listening, hearing, acting and doing the will of God?
On this Feast of the Holy Family let us ask for forgiveness and have reconciliation with our family; with those who are alienated from us and those whom we have alienated.
We are to love and forgive and we are to pray for our enemies.
After Mass Father Moreno said that he didn’t need a toy monkey anymore, he had outgrown the need for his childhood toy monkey.
Likewise, we must also no longer need our security blankets in life, we need to outgrow our security blankets whatever they may be, and only Trust God.
Father Moreno will be presiding at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Saturday, January 1, 2011 - Feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother of God, a holy day of obligation and the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, January 2, 2011 - The Epiphany of the Lord at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Del Rio, Texas.
Start the New Year off right by attending both of these Masses and be fed spiritually by Father Moreno's homilies.
Father Moreno informed the congregation that the weekly Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus (KC) Hall would resume the first Tuesday in February 2011.
The flood waters were rising; everyone was shouting, “Get out! Get out!”, his mother was gathering all her children like a mother hen, the National Guardsmen were telling everyone they had to get out now.
Father Moreno told us he always speaks about his mother because his father died when he was two (2) years old.
All of a sudden he remembered his monkey, the kind made out of socks, so he turned around and started going toward the house but his mother pulled him back and he never saw his monkey again.
They were fleeing the destruction of the flood waters; likewise Joseph, Mary and Jesus were fleeing from the impending destruction of Herod.
An Angel told Joseph in a dream to flee because Herod wanted to kill Jesus.
The Holy Family was obedient to God; likewise all families must be obedient to God.
Joseph was obedient because he was a righteous man, a man of prayer and therefore was able to hear and understand when the Angel spoke to him in a dream.
A holy family is one who prays together through triumph and tragedy, always discerning the will of God.
The Lord speaks to us.
Like Joseph gets up immediately and goes, we must also be obedient and get up and go immediately.
Obedience does not mean slavery; obedience means to hear, to listen and to love.
We must listen to God in love.
The Holy Family migrated to a place unknown; our spiritual migration is to the desert to hear the voice of God.
We must abandon ourselves to God because sustaining life comes only from God.
Obedience requires trust.
Fear questions everything; questioning is different from discernment.
The best Christmas gift parents can give to their children is to teach them to pray, to trust and to love.
Father Moreno compared Joseph and Herod: Joseph protected his family, was obedient, listened and heard God; Herod was only out for himself, murdered his three (3) sons because he was afraid they would take over his kingdom, always had to be number one.
Father Moreno asked, “Are we a Joseph or a Herod?”
Are we like Herod: egotistical, egocentric, doing only what makes us happy?
Are we like Joseph: obedient to the point of listening, hearing, acting and doing the will of God?
On this Feast of the Holy Family let us ask for forgiveness and have reconciliation with our family; with those who are alienated from us and those whom we have alienated.
We are to love and forgive and we are to pray for our enemies.
Likewise, we must also no longer need our security blankets in life, we need to outgrow our security blankets whatever they may be, and only Trust God.
Father Moreno will be presiding at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Saturday, January 1, 2011 - Feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother of God, a holy day of obligation and the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, January 2, 2011 - The Epiphany of the Lord at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Del Rio, Texas.
Start the New Year off right by attending both of these Masses and be fed spiritually by Father Moreno's homilies.
Father Moreno informed the congregation that the weekly Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus (KC) Hall would resume the first Tuesday in February 2011.
Father Moreno said he would going to Carlsbad, New Mexico this week. God bless Father Moreno traveling to Carlsbad, New Mexico and back to Del Rio, Texas, his home now officially for three (3) years thanks to Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller.
Thank God for blessing the three (3) parishes in Del Rio, Texas with our Christmas gift of Father Moreno.