Re-dedication of St. Joseph Church
Cockeysville, MD
March 21, 2024
A Providential Accident of History
Every parish has its unique lore and this parish is no exception. It is said that the founding parishioners here in Texas, Irish immigrants working in a nearby quarry, desired that their new church be named in honor of St. Patrick – as every good Irishman would. Unfortunately for them, this request was channeled through a chancery official who was not a son of the Emerald Isle – and thus it came about that the new church in Texas would be named in honor of St. Joseph. As with all such stories, if it’s not true – it should be!
If indeed the naming of this church were an accident of history, I think we can all agree that it was a providential accident. For St. Joseph’s life and example shed light on what we are doing as we rededicate this beautifully renovated church and bless its noble and worthy altar. Indeed, St. Joseph stands for all time as a beacon of faith, worship, and witness.
St. Joseph the Provider
It was, after all, Joseph who provided a home for his wife Mary, Joseph, who provided a home for Jesus whom he loved as father. It was in the home at Nazareth that Mary and Joseph formed the humanity of Jesus. There the Incarnate Son of God grew “in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
We too worship in Joseph’s house, a house that has been transformed through the leadership of your Pastor, Msgr. Hilgartner, and through imagination, artistry, workmanship and generosity of many. It is in this house, under St. Joseph’s protection, that our humanity is formed, in this house where we hear the living Word of God and are transformed by the Church’s sacramental life, centered around the celebration of the Eucharist.
Preparation for Mission
And just as Jesus was prepared in the home at Nazareth to accomplish the saving mission for which the heavenly Father sent him, so too, in this place we are formed to continue and expand the mission that Jesus began and handed on to his Apostles, that mission which is the very reason for the Church’s existence. And what is this mission? To show the Face of the Father. To show the Face of Mercy.
In today’s Gospel, we find Jesus on mission. Along the way he encounters Zacchaeus, a tax collector, a public sinner. Yet this man, like so many, was seeking something better. And what does Jesus do? He speaks to Zacchaeus’ heart, bringing forth sincere repentance. And then goes to Zacchaeus’ house where he brings light, joy, and salvation.
As we bless and dedicate this place, let Jesus’ words echo anew in our hearts: “Today, salvation has come to this house, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” Just as this church is purified by water, so too are we. Just this place is anointed by the Holy Spirit for authentic worship, so too are we anointed by the Spirit that we might worship in spirit and truth. Just as incense rises to the heavens, so too may “our prayers rise like incense, our hands like an evening oblation.” Welcoming anew the presence of the divine into this structure invites us to welcome Christ anew, into our homes and into our hearts. And then, having ourselves received the mercy of Christ, let us in turn bear witness to his mercy, showing as did Jesus, by word and example, the face of the Father of mercies. Let us be beacons of faith and worship to the many people in our times who are seeking something more, something better than the world has to offer.
The Beauty of the Heavenly Liturgy
This evening may our minds, our hearts, and senses be struck by the beauty of this sacred space and the beauty of these sacred rites. Looking around us, let us see in the harmony and brightness of this space as a reflection of the glory of the New and Heavenly Jerusalem where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and where the saints and angels rejoice in the eternal liturgy. It is in this beauty that we take part tonight, and at every Mass to be celebrated in this church for generations to come, As we experience this foretaste of heaven, let us rejoice and be glad for indeed “salvation has come to this house!”