Making Our Homes Like Loreto’s Holy House – Dec 10 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Dec 10, 2025, the memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, highlighting how the Holy House of Nazareth exemplifies a home of prayer, charity, and service for families and religious communities today.

Father begins by introducing the memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, describing the pilgrimage site in Italy that houses the Holy House of Nazareth, where the Annunciation occurred, and Christmas began with God becoming man. He portrays the Holy House as a model of prayer, charity, and service. As a house of prayer, Father references Isaiah 56:7 and Matthew 21:13, noting how Jesus, Mary, and Joseph centered their home on God, modeling family unity through prayer. He extends this to religious houses, where Jesus is sacramentally present in the Eucharist. This prayer fosters peace, echoing Mother Teresa's words on silence leading to peace. The house of charity prioritizes people over possessions, with Joseph and Mary cultivating love; Father cites the Vatican II document Perfectae Caritatis and warns against Pharisaical neglect of weightier matters in Matthew 23:23, urging insight, humility, and God's help to focus on loving God and others. Charity involves encouragement, affection, and avoiding blaming others. As a servant's house, despite its royal inhabitants, no one lorded over others; Father quotes Matthew 20:25-28 on servant leadership, applying it to Church and family authorities. Acknowledging our homes' dysfunction due to sin, he assures a blessed life through the Holy Family's grace, inviting prayerful visits to them for comfort and strength.

Isaiah 56:7 - House called prayer for all - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/56?7
Matthew 21:13 - Cleansing the temple as prayer - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21?13
Matthew 23:23 - Neglecting justice, mercy, and faith - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23?23
Matthew 20:25-28 - Servant leadership in authority - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/20?25
CCC 1658 - Holy Family domestic church model - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1658.htm
CCC 2204 - Family as school of charity - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2204.htm
CCC 2219 - Respect duties toward family - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2219.htm
Our Lady of Loreto - Vatican prayer devotion - https://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_en.html
Franciscan Media - Litany of Loreto - https://www.franciscanmedia.org/ask-a-franciscan/the-litany-of-the-blessed-virgin/
Perfectae Caritatis - Vatican II religious life - https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651028_perfectae-caritatis_en.html

Ave Maria!

Mass: Our Lady of Loreto (Isa) - Opt Mem - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13454b.htm
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121025.cfm

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