The Holy Family
This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, and it is a good time to stop and reflect on the Christian Family and what it means for us to be part of the family of faith within the Church. This Sunday, we commemorate a family in deep distress because their Son is seen as a threat to a jealous king: Joseph and Mary are running for their lives from Herod the Great. Tradition says that after three years in exile, another angel informs Joseph that Herod the Great is dead. The Holy Family returns to their homeland, not to Bethlehem, since the new king who reigns in his father’s place is also a cruel and barbaric ruler. Joseph brings Mary and Jesus to his native town of Nazareth in Galilee. There, they lived a simple ordinary life, Joseph the carpenter with Mary and Jesus who grew in holiness and in knowledge of God.
We recognize the sacrifices Joseph and Mary made for Jesus, in the same way as we recognize the sacrifices our parents made for us and many other parents are making for their children today. In the readings of the Feast of the Holy Family, we encounter a profound invitation to transform our homes and our lives into sanctuaries of God’s love and faithfulness. The first reading from Sirach emphasizes the respect and honour owed to our parents, linking family life to the spiritual life. It shows us that the familial bond is not just a social thing but a sacred covenant. The Holy Family, in their simple yet profound acts of faith, become a model for us, guiding us to see our family relationships as opportunities to grow in holiness love and charity. The Gospel of Luke, detailing the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, underscores the holy families deep-seated obedience to God’s will as they went up to the temple to do what the law required.
This gospel story is a vivid portrayal of a family committed to their faith, where each action and decision is rooted in faith and love. The Church is a great family, the great family of God. The Church is prophetic: she proclaims the Kingdom of God. Simeon, as well as the prophetess Anna, are there in this gospel to witness to this. This example sets a high standard for us: to make our embodiments of divine love, where every interaction is steeped in the virtues of faith and love. As we meditate on these scriptures, we are called to think about our own family dynamics. It is in our family homes that we learn a philosophy of life. It is there that we acquire principles by which we should live and relate to others. It is there, in the domestic church, that God is acknowledged, that prayer is learned. It is there that our soul is nurtured at the family altar, the family table in which we share a communion of food for the body, the mind and the soul. So in thanking God for the gift of the Christ Child, we also thank God for our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, and the wonderful gift that our families are for us. By strengthening these bonds, we mirror the Holy Family’s commitment to God’s plan and we become active participants in the manifestation of His love and mercy in the world where we are and we are impowered to pass his love and mercy on to those around us.
Fullerton T 