Today's Message: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Sirach 3: 2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3: 12-21; Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

Today we are celebrating the feast of the Holy Family. What was it like growing up in our family?  What immediate memories come to mind: was it love and fun times; or tragedy rather than enjoyment? Did we take family vacations every summer? Was the family involved in sports and recreational activities? Would we consider our family a normal family?  Did the good times dominate the ruptured times? Was support and affection shared by members of the family unit? Were you listened to and affirmed? Did you feel important and valuable? How was your faith developed? Did it seem that one person took more responsibility for your faith development? Many have moments when we would have liked to ‘switch families’ so that we could have more fun and/or ‘rules’ would be easier to live with ... was this the case with you? It’s always good to look at the special times when we were a valued member ... when lasting bonds were planted and reaffirmed. Did you learn to care for each other in your family? Did these lessons and experiences carry over into your life today? What values learned in your family have been beneficial and helpful?

Growing up, I heard so frequently that we should imitate the values of the Holy Family. Somehow I felt that everything was ‘nice and perfect’ and everyone always got along together and they didn’t have problems. As I grew my thoughts changed.  I remember in the early grades asking one of the nuns if Jesus ever got in trouble in school. Did he ever play ball and break a window ... or scrape his knee or had a fight with his friends? The response I heard was: ‘they didn’t have windows in those days.’ Sister missed the point ... my questions were not adequately answered. But I figured Jesus had to have friends. I think he helped around the house but had free time with his friends. He just had to have been an ordinary kid growing up. A great reflection is imagining Jesus in his youth and as he began His ministry. What was His personality? Was He quiet or outgoing? Was He sensitive? ... Did He close Himself off to others? I feel that it is necessary to give our imaginations permission to look at Jesus. Scripture tells us He was like us in all ways but sin. What is the message God wants to convey to us today about the Holy Family? Did their lives have relevance to me?

Connections the newsletter of ideas and images for today’s gospel share: “The Gospel of Mary and Joseph’s escape to Egypt has been lived by countless families in every place and time. This Christmas, Mary, Joseph and the Child are escaping gangs in Guatemala, running from militant terrorist groups in Syria, fleeing government police in nations throughout Africa and Asia. The Holy Family is Christian, Jewish, Islam, and every religious and spiritual sect; the Holy Family is white, black, brown, yellow; the Holy Family speaks every tongue and dialect on earth. At Christmas, as we celebrate the gift of our own families, Matthew’s Gospel on this Feast of the Holy Family confronts us with the struggles of many families and God’s call to us, as their brothers and sisters, to make a place for them where they will find safety, justice and dignity as God’s own.”

In Sirach, this wise grandfathers’s spiritual advice had nourished believers for more than 100 years before Jesus’ birth. Sirach referenced the Ten Commandments and the Torah. He tells us that the honor shown to fathers and mothers is rooted in God and, consequently, both deserve great respect since they bring God’s gift of children into the world. Sirach makes a point to list these values:  honor, prayer, reverence, obedience, respect, consideration, kindness ... and they present challenges each day. They revolve around realizing that each person is a gift, God’s gift. God chose a specific time and place to be born and we are to be His witnesses of love. Our life is a witness to show the world God’s love. Do I feel I am important and loved? Do I feel that God needs me to love?

Paul tells us that as “… God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved …” we should be compassionate in every way. We have been uniquely gifted and graced to be His witnesses. Do I realize that life is a gift and the gift of me is to be seen by others and “not hidden under a bushel basket?” Paul says it so succinctly: “And whatever you do in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” So what do we learn from the example and lives of this Holy Family?

• It is obvious that Jesus functioned in a normal Jewish family. They were prayer people and lived and cared for others. His humanness and prayer life were thus formed and enriched.
• Jesus grew up as a normal child, learning the native language day by day. He learned about God in the synagogue and the carpentry trade from His father.
• In the Our Father, Jesus referred to His heavenly Father as ‘Abba,’ a term best ‘translated’ as ‘daddy.’ No doubt, Joseph’s way of being a father helped show Jesus a positive and loving God the Father who was concerned about the hurting.
• This family lived for a number of years in Nazareth, which was a small community of perhaps 125 to 150 people. Many belonged to the tribe of David, Joseph’s tribe ... so Jesus lived in and around relatives: aunts, uncles, cousins etc.The sharing with extended family taught Jesus a respect of family origins and love for each other. 

Most importantly, in Luke 8:19-21 we read, “Then His mother and His brothers came to Him but were unable to join Him because of the crowd. He was told,’Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.’ He said to them in reply, ‘My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Do I realize that Jesus is telling us how God judges us: by our living and loving all? Jesus is teaching all of us to ‘take off the horse-blinders’ ... we have to broaden out notion of family to see everyone is brother and sister to me. Am I living and acting in my world in that way? Jesus constantly modeled the Father’s love and God’s love for each and every person. The family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus certainly had their problems: they faced way too many life threatening situations with Herod killing all newborn babies ... running away to Egypt ... and Jesus saying His own Yes in accepting the Cross to show His ultimate love and God’s love. We are all on a journey that ends up with God Himself in Heaven, the place of love. We are loved so that we can love. It’s hard because we have so many obstacles and are sinners ... but we are loved, forgiven, redeemed sinners. Thank you Lord.  Amen

So I reflect on:

• We yearn for peace, yet life is certainly messy. How does Jesus look at me? Only with love! How does this loving look help me in loving?
• Do I look at people’s eyes or avoid them? Scripture suggests that Jesus was an ‘eye’ person ... He loves each of us that much!
• What do I do when I am not comfortable with where I find myself? Do I run away from God or sit down and talk with Him?
• How do I convey God’s presence to those in my life? Am I generous or stingy with this?

Sacred Space 2019 states:

“According to this narrative, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — like tens of millions of people today — went through a period of being displaced persons. ... One might say that Joseph, at this annunciation, had more right than Zechariah not to know what to make of it all and to be dumbstruck. ... Perhaps we could call Joseph the patron saint of trust. He was kept in the dark till the last moment and then faithfully followed whatever direction he was given. Some of us will readily admit that, in a rapidly changing society, we never know what’s around the corner. Joseph’s willingness to fly blind under heaven’s bidding provides a model for us.”