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Father Muench Says...

Home, sweet (and cold & snowy) home

Feb. 12, 2014

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

The weather report for tomorrow, as reported by the weather man on the radio  - cold temperatures, six to eight inches of snow, difficult travel conditions. 

We’ve heard it all before – we’ll be able to deal with this.

When I was visiting Florida in January, my friends there noticed and mentioned often to me the frigid temperatures back home in the Adirondacks.  Often, I was asked, why do you continue to live up there? 

One fellow even asked, “Why does anyone live up there?”

As I thought about it, I knew what the answer is, “This is my home.”  It has been my home, ever since I became a priest.  I have been stationed in several places all over the North Country in my diocese, the Diocese of Ogdensburg. 

This diocese is my home.

I have always felt at home here; this is more than a place where I hang my hat.  This is where I am most comfortable, this is where my friends live, where I am always certain to get a good meal.

Recently, I heard a radio interview of some well-known musician who was asked where his home was. 

He explained that his immediate answer would be where he was now living but, he admitted that he did think of the place where he was born and raised as still home.

Where would you think of as your home?

Personally, I must admit that while the North Country is home to me, I do think of Syracuse as home, too. That is where I was born and raised.  I still have family there.  I am certain that those early years did have quite an effect on me.  So Central New York is still home, also.

Home – Jesus chose to make a home with us on this earth.  He did not come here just for a visit.  He could have chosen other ways to bring his message to us.  Yet, he was born into a family – he was part of a home.  He spent his childhood and adolescence in that home as part of a family. 

During his public life, he was close to many families and visited many homes.  He was a source of support and help to many families.

Jesus made Nazareth and Capernaum his home  until he moved on to Jerusalem.  Jesus was at home here in this world – our world.  This was his home.  He lived a full and complete life among us before he gave his life for us – dying for us.

Jesus consecrated this world of ours by making his home with us.  This means that you and I who have made our home in this world are united in a most wonderful way with Jesus. So we learn so much from Jesus about making a home a home.

In his life among us, Jesus taught and challenged us to make this home of ours.

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