"Clarity from God" - Christmas Homily

On behalf of Father Vincent, Deacon Ted, and all our staff at Visitation Parish wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas.

We're very grateful that this is part of your Christmas Eve tradition.

Now, it's a great night for the church, for us as Christians, for our families.

Christmas Eve is a big thing.

We look forward to it for long time.

I woke up this morning like, my gosh, it's Christmas Eve.

Hard to believe.

But here we are.

And all the things we look forward to that we're used to, the traditions of this evening, this night.

And coming to Mass is a big part of it.

We love Christmas Eve and we love Christmas Eve Mass.

So after all the genealogy, we hear this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

And wherever you are in your faith tonight, all the excitement and activity to get here, and now you're here in the pew, like, I love this, but, okay, it's about faith, and where

am I in my faith?

But you know, I love hearing about the birth of Christ.

At the children's Mass you know, we said, what was that scene like?

And it was like,

It was very peaceful, and it was joyful, and loving, and kind.

That's what we all want.

So this celebration is what our hearts long for.

So let's get into it.

Let's hear about the birth of Jesus Christ.

How did this come about?

And then we hear pretty much all about Joseph.

We come to hear about the birth of Christ and Jesus, the baby Jesus, to be

United with Him and then it's all about Joseph.

And I mean, don't know this is right analogy, but it's like going to see Batman and it's like all about Robin, at least in the first part of the movie.

So what's going on here?

Why after this whole thing, we're in church for Christmas Eve Mass and we hear about Joseph?

He plays a big role, obviously.

Bigger than we might think.

reason we go through that genealogy, why Matthew laid it all out, was to show this is a royal line.

The line of David.

This is a royal, kingly family that Joseph is a part of.

And because of that, Jesus is a part of.

And that was the prophecies, that the Savior would come from the line of David.

But personally,

that we can connect with where Joseph is in this situation.

Because he was hurt.

He was confused, he was bothered by what was going on, and he was leaving.

He was leaving this scene.

And it's completely understandable.

The love of his life, Mary, literally the perfect woman, to whom he is married and ready to make it full with

Moving in together is found with a child who's not his.

And so, like any of us, we would be at least confused, if not really upset and hurt.

Now Joseph is holy man, so the whole plan about divorcing her quietly doesn't want to bring her to shame, but he had made up his mind to leave.

So he might have been mad at God.

It's the biggest thing in his life, now it's falling to pieces.

And he's so confused that he's leaving.

Again, wherever you are your faith tonight, God has brought you here to hear this and brought it for me to hear this.

It very much humanizes Joseph in saying that's exactly where I am in my life.

I'm confused.

I'm confused about God.

I'm confused about most important thing or things in my life.

And I can't hear God.

I'm confused.

I don't know the direction.

Everyone else around me seems to know what to do but me.

Again, Joseph being married to Mary, that's tough to say, a Christmas Eve especially.

Not that I was drinking, I might have my family here, but I shouldn't even be going there anyway, and I'm recording this too.

Okay, so Joseph is married to the perfect woman, and I don't remember the point, but it's alright, we're moving on.

He's married to the perfect woman, and he's confused, and that might be you looking around at other Catholics, they got it all figured out.

Well, they got the perfect marriage and the perfect kids and everything's perfect for everyone else.

That's certainly the takeaway if you're on their social media.

But Joseph went through this.

And he was confused and really upset.

But the good thing about him that I hope is true about you and me, he stayed open.

Because God came in to clear it right up through the message of an angel.

My gosh, He cleared up quickly.

He explained this is through the Holy Spirit.

This child has been conceived in her and He's going to save His people.

That kind of clarity, Joseph was fine.

Good to go.

Thank you very much, Lord.

I'm in He woke up from this vision, like in a dream, with such clarity that that's from God, that he heard from God, that he was in the rest of his life.

Again, a child with his wife, not his.

He was on board with that.

So when we talk about clarity from God, it still may not make sense when you explain it to other people.

Imagine Joseph explained to his buddies, and he's like, yeah, it's totally fine.

It's the Holy Spirit, and this is the Savior of the world.

They're like, yeah, yeah, great.

He's been drinking.

But ask God for that clarity.

I've known many people, myself included.

I was like Joseph, I was lost.

I was leaving this area when I was 21 years old.

started over in California and a priest was like the angel to me saying, no, just stay.

And then everything started to work out here and then I got serious clarity from God about my life.

Ask God for clarity, ask God to send you someone to give you clarity.

Or to listen to you if you're hurt or upset or confused or even mad at God.

You understand why I'm saying all this tonight because he's brought you here to celebrate Christmas and we're looking at a man who's really confused.

Who would be the father of Jesus on earth.

Who would be that saint husband.

And who is now super powerful.

from heaven.

I recommend St.

Joseph as an intercessor to so many people and he comes through powerful.

People having problems in their marriages, in their jobs, searching for meaning or direction.

He's been there.

He remained open and if you were open, you can go to Him.

So there's a nine-day prayer you can do to St.

Joseph with a special intention, especially for clarity, to hear God like He did.

He used to be pulling for you.

The church said this is for us, to focus on Him for a reason.

And your life right now may be exactly what you need.

That God caught you off guard tonight.

just coming for the festivities, and now he's like, hey, I know you're in the same spot Joseph was, whether in a deep hole or not.

We all could use a message from the Lord.

I always say, when you make your communion, if you're able to receive communion tonight, to have an intention when you do so.

Every communion, that's the most powerful, grace-filled moment of our lives, to have Jesus, the Word made flesh in us.

In a sense, Jesus is born in us.

When we receive Him, have that intention.

As you go on to St.

Joseph and obviously Jesus, Joseph prayers go to Jesus.

He's got a lot of pull with Jesus.

And ask for that clarity, ask for that direction.

And I have confidence, especially in St.

Joseph's intercession, that He'll give it to you.