Who Owns Your House?

The Lantern Vol. 41

Our sermon last Sunday reminded me as a parent of an excellent point. When someone takes ownership of something it means more to them. As a parent, money means less to my kids until they have to pay for something, and it seemed that way with me and my parents.

When you own something you treat it differently than if it was given to you.

My family watched a documentary on Frank Sinatra and they spoke about how proud his father was of him. It is hard as a Christian to express pride, one of the deadly sins. I understand if I do something worthwhile it is thanks be to God. If I mess something up, it is thanks be to me.

So what makes me proud as a father? The world likes us to talk about jobs and achievements in the world. My son would like to be a movie director someday. We search for higher goals and maybe higher accolades. Yet, I see him as very successful right now.

I try to keep things in perspective of what is truly important, how are they in the eyes of God.

As a father, I have had many responsibilities which I provide for, housing, food, clothing, education, and on and on. The most important of these to a Catholic parent should be education. Our children are surrounded by a world that rejects God and as a parent, we are to teach our kids, to know, love, and serve God. This is our primary responsibility whether, through word or example, we are to educate our children on the truth of God.

I look at my eldest son who is now married and I do not judge his success by what he does but rather by who he is. Does he love and respect his wife, is he a role model to his children of God? Will he be able to teach the truth to them that I was responsible to pass on?

Our losses and failures in life should all be measured in such a way. Not by what we own, or what we have done, or what we have created. Our mark on the world will be how we presented the truth of God to others. We have Halls of Fame for many secular talents, but to the Catholic, sainthood is the hall of fame we should desire. It is wonderful to use your God-given talents to their best. If someone is a singer or a sports figure have they used their talents to inspire others in a Godly way, or did they embrace the evils of the world? Have they inspired their children or others to achieve the hall of fame or the hall of shame?

How do we achieve such a goal? I think by what Father said this weekend, by ownership.

My children and I gathered this weekend on our porch and in our home. We love to come home. To a place of memories and familiarity, where we felt and feel love. Where we are comfortable and safe. As parents, we guard our home, lock it at night, make sure it provides comfort and safety. Projects abound as we fix and replace and renew this sacred space in our lives. We truly own it, not just my wife and I, but the whole family.

When I was at Mass this weekend it occurred to me I was in God’s house and He does the same thing. Now, allow me to combine all of these thoughts. Our bodies are temples, tabernacles, tents, houses of the Holy Spirit. What if we ask God to take possession of these houses? Let these houses be His and His alone. Let Him take complete ownership. Ask Him to fix the broken parts in us, to fill us with comfort and safety. To protect us against all that would harm His house where His children dwell. Maybe all of these problems we face in the world would seem a lot less scary.

The world rambles on as if God is on the sidelines, maybe he will help, maybe we will have to call Him in, or maybe this is just His will. Have we given Him complete possession of our problems, of our temple, our home? Today I ask myself, have I said The Our Father, or The Hail Mary as much as I have said The Virus? The news is filled with many useless distractions that keep us from our path, our goal, our example.

The current bible readings which follow Easter focus on the Acts of the Apostles and how the new Christians sold what they had and gave it to the new church. They gave all to God. Maybe for a fresh start, we abandon this-worldly focus of ownership and success and give our homes to God. Trust in Him no matter what happens, let Him take ownership of your home where your family is, and your bodily home where your tabernacle resides. This week just pause and take a step back. With all of the things that are going on around you, ask yourself one question. Who owns your home? If the answer is God, then your troubles are now His, and your path is clearer.