Flag Hoisting: Feast of Infant Jesus

Yesterday I was invited to hoist the flag of the Infant Jesus and celebrate mass. I tried to find a decent source for my homily in the internet: to my surprise i found none. I guess the feast does not have a widespread devotion universally except Prague, India and the like. Anyhow, i have decided to write something on my own meditating on the Childhood of Jesus.

Homily on Infant Jesus:

Holy Family has relevance only in the presence of Holiness: God. Child Jesus is the total essence of God's holiness. Child always represented inexperience, dependency, lacking in strength, clarity and maturity. This child is the total picture of God Himself, as the Heart represents the totality of persons.

I should be busy with the business of my Father:

Every stage in life has its own business of the Father. As we reflect on the Holy Childhood, the first business of the Father here is that He teaches us how to be a child. He became man in all things (St.Paul). He takes the form of a child to teach us to be children in our heart and mind. To be a child at heart is the business of the Father. Whenever we become child at heart, we partake in the Holy Childhood of Jesus.

This Holy Childhood would be shaped and formed by the following elements:

Mary
The envoloping motherhood of Mary in all forms.
The prayerful presence of an admirer and a disciple in the person of Mary
A simple and a humble housewife proclaiming the Word of God in simple and humble ways.
A woman who is full of the Holy Spirit, stands for justice and peace.
A woman who would share the suffering of people: compassionate lover.

Joseph
The exemplary fatherhood of Joseph in all forms.
A great supporter of the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
A person who is just and honest in all that he does.
A person who is known for his hard work.
A person who has taken roots in the will of God: A man of great faith.

Lesson from the Infant

• 'Taking the form of a slave' - shows God's compassionate love and humililty. The Holy Childhood of Childhood of Jesus is the further deepening of God's ultimate humility. Thus, the feast of Infant Jesus is the feast of his incarnation also, Jesus grasping the meaning of His humanity, the meaning of flesh.
• This child Jesus is young in his innovative love for humanity, tender in his abiding presence, dependent in the parenthood of Mary and Joseph, maturing in his wisdom and knowledge filled with the questions of humanness. That is why we are called for a deeper faith, hope and love to approach the Infant.He makes us realise our responsiblity to do more as a christian.
  It is also a feast to celebrate our own childhood, the childhood of our parents, grandparents, popes, priest, leaders of the people for God's greater care in us during our childhood. We are here praying because we had a great childhood through the love of God.
• It is also an invitation to be childlike with our words, deeds and attitudes (not childish).
• It is also a call to respect the childhood of our own children.
  Children need our time. Church pays more attention on children. Children need priests, nuns to guide them also. Children need good parents. Children masses should be celebrated where the children could come with their parents and god-parents.
  Children need a more powerful friend (not just TV)
  A more interesting place to go to (not just park or beach or resort)
  A more powerful examples (not just movie stars, pokeman, Jetix stars)
  A more interesting book (not just comics, sportstar)
  A more interesting way of life (not just softwear engeneers, doctors, lawyers)
  A more permanant love in (not just money)
• Future popes, priest, nuns and leaders are our children and they are the hope for the next generation church. We should take care in shaping them to see a new world emerging, a civilisation of Love. Amen.