Homily: Feast of St. John XXIII
Feast of St. John XXIII (John 21:15-17) “Opening the Windows”
Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli was born in 1881 into a poor farm family in Italy. He was the third of thirteen children. No one would have expected the influence he would have in the Catholic Church. Bishops in Europe at the time usually came from prominent families. They received the best education. Someone who came from a peasant family who was ordained would usually serve as a parish priest in a small town. His humble beginnings probably influenced him for the rest of his life.
Angelo decided that he wanted to be a priest. When he studied in the seminary, he caught the eye of the Bishop of Bergamo who made him his secretary. He also lectured in the seminary in church history.
Angelo was drafted into the army in WWI where he became a stretcher bearer and chaplain. His experiences in the trenches probably influenced him to advocate for peace whenever he could.
He became interested in researching the life of St. Charles Borromeo. He was researching in the library in Milan where he got to know another priest named Achille Ratti who later became Pope Pius XI. Pius the XI launched the diplomatic career of Roncalli who spent time representing the Pope in Eastern Europe where he interacted with Orthodox Christians and Jews.
In 1953 Roncalli became the Cardinal Archbishop of Venice. In 1958 he became Pope John XXIII. At the time he was 77 years old, and it was thought that he would be a caretaker Pope.
This was not the case. He called the Second Vatican Council. He wanted to bring the Church into the modern world. He advocated for peace and justice, ecumenism and for an openness for to the world. He was a Pope who wanted to be with the people. Every Pope since has had the same attitude. They all wanted to be Pastors first.
Reflection:
1. What do I recall about John XXIII? Why did he have such a great impact?
2. What experiences have influenced my outlook on life? John was considered the most popular Pope ever. Why?
Dear Parishioners,
This Sunday at 9:15 a.m. Mass we will have a children’s liturgy. We try to make the 9:15 a.m. Mass family friendly. The children will participate in various ways and there will be a homily geared for them.
I find it interesting that older parishioners enjoy these Masses as much as the youngsters. The comment is often made that the message shared in the homily is greatly appreciated.
Maybe this reminds us that our faith does not have to be complex. The simple message is that God loves us. God wants to be a parent to us all.
May Our Lady of Sorrow pray for all those suffering because of the hurricanes,
Fr. Mark