There is Something About That Name

Homily For the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
Delivered September 12, 2009, for The Kings Men,
a Men's Group, www.thekingsmen.us

Praise God, it is good to be with you here today. We all know the value of our name, for men, our name carries a lot of weight. It is something that we pass on, something we defend, protect and share with our sons. Of course, our real hope is to have not just a name, but a good name. What a tremendous gift, to have a good name. For in the turmoils of life, a good name is a security, a comfort and a worthy goal to have.

There is of course, no better name than the name of Jesus, Savior. There is power, salvation, healing, grace and strength in his name. Today, the Church calls to mind the name of the woman who brought HIm into the world and salutes her name, Mary. Mary's name is holy because she is holy, full of grace, the immaculate one whose fruit is Jesus. The Gospel today, speaks to us of bearing good fruit, well, how beautiful a gift, to have born Jesus, as the fruit of one's womb.

As men, Mary can teach us valuable lesson about bearing fruit. For as men, we like to produce, to make a mark, to make a difference to strive for greatness, leave a legacy, we might do this through our name, but it is Mary who shows us how to bear fruit that endures. And in a nutshell, we bear lasting fruit to the extent that we allow ourselves to be conquered by God.

St. Paul is a great example of this, He did many manly, heroic things, but it all flowed out of his being CONQUERED BY GOD. In the reading today, he identifies himself as being the worst of sinners, and he identifes Jesus as being the savior of sinners. Thus, by definition, Paul is the very target for person of Jesus Christ. And Paul, recognizing himself as such, allows the "arrow" of Christ Himself, to hit him, to conquer him, and to transform him. This is the source then of Paul's greatness...it is Christ's greatness within, that exudes from Paul's being. And paul becomes a living testimony of Almighty God.

My friends, there is a valuable lesson here for us. We become real men, fruitful men, enduring men to the extent that Christ is the Man of our lives. So, yes, we will face battles, trials, fears, storms and floods, but Christ in me is conquering them.

One final point. The Gospel today says, "a good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good." Isn't that interesting? We produce good not out of sheer will power, but out of the store of Goodness. Let us then ask the Lord to stock the shelves of our heart with virtue. Then, like Mary, we too will be full of grace, love, peace and power.
AMEN.