SIR 3:2-6, 12-14 or Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3;
PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 or Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9;
COL 3:12-21 or Col 3:12-17; Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19;
The Holy Family
The Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Incarnate Son of God, came to dwell in a small town in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph. No one can imagine a more special family, yet, in many ways they were ordinary. There was nothing extravagant about their lives. Joseph was a carpenter, Mary a handmaid like many others. When Jesus came to Earth, he could have chosen any place in the world of noble origin or wealthy background. Yet, he chose a poor, simple family to be born in. They had no need to follow the earthly traditions of consecrating Jesus to the Lord, but they did. Jesus followed the customary laws, studied the scriptures as he was taught by his parents, played, slept, and did his chores. He experienced everything about being the son of a human family. He took on our nature to consecrate it to the Father; and Mary and Joseph, in their ordinariness, were part of this extraordinary mission.
Brethren, Jesus being born in a family, sanctified the family and so everyone who lives in it has a vocational path to holiness. All the family members are therefore invited to live holy lives characterised by love, fidelity, trust, communion, harmony and all other gospel values. In the Gospel today we see Joseph and Mary taking Jesus to present him to the Temple as the Jewish law stated. We too in our families ought to follow the divine law which ordained the family and also the church teachings on being a better Christian family. Let the gospel be our leader and guide in our families.
The Holy family thus becomes a model of all our families. All the members of the Holy Family played their roles faithfully in making the wonderful family which we celebrate today. The last sentence of the Gospel says that Jesus grew to maturity and was filled with the Holy Spirit and God's favour was with him. This shows that Jesus' parents did the work of parenting Jesus both physically and spiritually by bringing him near to God. Jesus lived a full human life, did chores, played like other children and the parents nursed him very well. Jesus in turn obeyed his parents and did well as a good child. We too should follow the example of this family, putting God first and then performing our respective responsibilities.
St Paul in the second reading gives great instructions of living in a community and a family: compassion, forgiveness, love and peace not to mention gratitude. Love is a sort of overcoat, holding all the other qualities together. If we reflect on these and put them into practice there can be no rivalry or hostility in the Christian community even within a family, where the strains of Christmas often make love grow thin. However, a loving family is the model for the different relationships of a loving Christian community. God’s fatherhood and motherhood is the model for human parentage, and Christ’s devotion to his body the Church is the model for the devotion of spouses to one another.
St Paul ends by giving some advice for the family members. Wives should be obedient to their husbands, husbands to love their wives and children to be obedient to their parents and parents never to resent their children lest they frustrate them. Paul tells wives to be obedient to their husbands because wives sometimes tend not to be obedient but they love from heart and he tells husbands to love their wives because it is hard for men to love from the heart though they are obedient.
Reflect today on the birth of Jesus in a family and how he sanctified it. How are you and your family living according to the model family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Pray for all the graces to live in peace and Harmony in your family and pray for all the families especially Christian families.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, help me to find you today in the ordinariness of my life. I want to offer what I have, my poverty, and let you fill me with yourself. I thank you for the gift of my family. Help it to grow more in love of God and one another. Amen
Be blessed.
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