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Homilies | Thursday, May 28, 2015

Receiving more than they give

Homily by Archbishop Wenski at Mass with supporters of the Marian Center

Homily by Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Mass with supporters of the Marian Center. Thursday, May 28, 2015. 

We are here tonight to thank all our donors who have over the years supported the work of the Marian Center. We are grateful for the time, talent and treasure given to the Marian Center by our parents, our staff and volunteers and of course our benefactors. And when we are gathered to celebrate the Mass we do so united in the communion of the saints – and so every Mass is celebrated in the presence of all the angels and saints.

I say this because many our donors have already gone home to the Lord and they are, we believe, also participating in this Mass with us along with Sister Lucia and the other sisters who now enjoy the reward of their labors. Sometimes our donors make their biggest gift to the Marian Center after they go home to the Lord by remembering the Marian Center in their wills and leave a bequest so that, like St. Therese of the Little Flower, they can spend their time in heaven doing good on earth. Today, we are offering this Mass for the repose of the soul of Ana Kreider, who left an extraordinarily generous gift to the Marian Center. God bless her – and God bless all of you!

Painting "Adoration of the Christ child" by follower of Jan Joest of Kalkar.

Photographer: PHOTO COURTESY

Painting "Adoration of the Christ child" by follower of Jan Joest of Kalkar.

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, there is a painting entitled “The Adoration of the Christ Child.” It was painted by, I believe, a Dutch artist in 1515. We all are familiar with such paintings of the Nativity: They show the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the center surrounded by animals, of course, but also by angels, shepherds and the Wise Men.

But, in this particular painting I am talking about, one of the angels – the one closest to Mary and the baby Jesus - and one of the shepherds have the facial features that indicate that they had what we call today “Down’s syndrome.”

The painting shows Jesus enveloped in light – and that light of Jesus, the light of faith, embraces all – and it embraces those who because of their “differentness” the world might dismiss as unimportant or even as disposable. In the painting, that angel and shepherd with Down's adore the Christ child. And if the artist painted them in that scene it was because he felt that they were not only capable of adoring him but that they also could teach us to adore the living God.

Many donors will tell you that they receive much more than they have given.  And, haven’t the children and the adult clients associated with the Marian Center given us so much more than we have given them – for like the angel and the shepherd of that painting, they teach us by their simple and uncomplicated faith how to adore Jesus – and how to recognize him in the least of his brethren.

Thank you for your generosity. There’s a Haitian proverb that says, Di mèsi vle di ban m ankò. (To say thank you is to ask for more.) And so Sister Lidia has printed on your Mass program this evening a “wish list” that tells you what the Sisters believe are some priorities for which they will need your help.

We are grateful for God’s many gifts –for those gifts with which you have supported the Marian Center and for those gifts each one of the students of the Marian Center is for all of us. 

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