The Holy Family, Year C

After three days they found the child Jesus in the Temple

(Fr. James McTavish)

1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28 Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24 Luke 2:41-52

Today the Church liturgy celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Son of God became man and lived in a family. It helps us to reflect on what it means to be a family. Pope Paul VI wrote a homily on the Holy Family in 1964. He gave three characteristics of the life they lived in Nazareth – silence, love and work. Let us use these to guide our reflection and relate to the Word of God in the readings today.

The gospel of today (Luke 2:41-52) breaks the silence of the hidden life of Jesus. We hear nothing of the childhood of Jesus until he is twelve years old and lost in the temple. Silence was a feature of the life in Nazareth. Silence is golden, especially in the noisy world of today! Pope Paul VI said, “If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual and the value of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.” The fruit of silence spent with God is love.

We are called to love our human family. This love should lead us to grow in awareness of being children of God. We are not only children of our parents but as St John reminds us: “Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. And so we are.” (1 John 3:1-2, 21-24). Our family life on earth should always be directed towards heaven. We can give many gifts to our children but the best gift I received from my parents was their faith and love for God and each other.

It is quite fascinating the image of the Holy Family presented in the gospel today. Many images of the Holy Family show them peaceful, with halos and Colgate smiles. The holiness of real life is very different! The holy parents, Mary and Joseph, seem to have done something not so holy – they have lost the child Jesus! They had all gone to Jerusalem together for a feast. On the way back the parents of Jesus assumed he was in the caravan. It took them three days to find him. I remember being lost for only a few hours and my parents were so anxious but imagine the angst of Mary and Joseph after three days. His mother said to Jesus “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Even more surprising is the response of the twelve year old Jesus “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

We can lose Jesus. It can happen to us too and can be part of our process of becoming holy! At times you have to search for Christ. This is a great antidote to mediocrity and complacency. One professional I know was telling me that he was bored with his faith, that the idea of sharing his faith with others was not exciting any more. He had lost his initial fire of following the Lord. He realised that it was time for a change. It was as if he had been with Jesus but in this moment of his faith journey he would have to search for the Lord with more intensity. These moments are a blessing, grace filled opportunities to grow, to move on - otherwise you stagnate. Jesus said “Seek me and you will find me,” if you seek me with all your heart. The problem is that sometimes we don’t search with all our heart, only part of it.

Occasional restlessness is vital for us. If we become lazy in our spiritual lives then we need to work a little more. “Pray as everything depends on God, but work as if everything depends on you,” the Saints remind us. Pope Paul VI reminds us “In Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect.” Work, both material and spiritual, helps us grow in holiness.

How is my life of silence and contemplation? Does my love for my family remind each one that they are children of God and part of a bigger family? Am I working in my spiritual life? How can I search more for Christ?

“Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:45-47). If we feel we have lost Jesus be reassured that we can find him in silence, in love and in work even if it takes “three days” (symbolic of the number of days between His death and resurrection).

Let us give thanks for the life of the holy family, cherish our own more and more and offer a prayer today for all families, especially those in most difficulty. Amen.

The Holy Family, Year B

See Salvation

Gen 15:1-6; 21:1-3 Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19 Luke 2:22-40

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family. The Scriptural readings present to us a childless couple, Abram and his wife Sarah. God gives him a new name Abraham – the Father of a host of nations. “No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you.” Abraham believed the promises of God. His wife conceived because she too “believed that he who made the promise would be faithful.” The second reading of today is taken from the letter to the Hebrews. The author of this letter praises the faith of Abraham and Sarah. What we have is a family that is listening to God and believing in his promises. The family starts to walk towards becoming a holier family. Many families today give importance to the Word of God. Listening to it, meditating it and trying to apply it to their lives. One title of the family is the “Domestic church.” In the Church the Word of God is listened to and meditated. So too in the Domestic Church. St John Chrysostom commented that if not all the family are able to go to Church then the one who goes must go home and share the Word he has listened to with all the family and all the people of the house. In this way the faith of the whole family is strengthened.

The gospel of today focuses on the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple. In the Mosaic Law it was proscribed that for 40 days after the birth of the child the mother could not enter the temple for reasons of impurity. Quite harsh really as Mother Mary was the Immaculate one. But Mary in her simplicity and obedience to the Law obliges. When she and Joseph are in the temple they present their offering – either a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. What a small offering! Seemingly so insignificant. Probably not many would have noticed them. It would need eyes of faith to see the significance of such a small sacrifice. But God had prepared everything. There was a man called Simeon there, who was led to the temple that day by the Holy Spirit. Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God saying that now God’s word to him was fulfilled and that his eyes had seen the salvation. When we listen to God’s Word everything changes. What is apparently an ordinary event becomes extraordinary. Simeon sees a family offering their first born to the Lord and recognizes this grace filled moment of salvation history. Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was said about their son Jesus. It makes me wonder too. Is there space in my life to be amazed at God? Can the “simple” things still inspire me? Can I see God’s presence in small details? Or am I only moved by the “big” things?

Lord, in this Octave of Christmas, we have been given a privileged time to contemplate what we have received. Teach us how to contemplate and to have faith. If not, we look at the world of today, we see the challenges to the family and we become prophets of gloom and doom. Yet you are working. The Saviour has already been born. Will we recognize his coming? Will we recognize his powerful yet often hidden presence? Open our eyes teach us how to see the “reality” as you see it. As St Paul reminds us “The reality is Christ.” As the Spanish song goes “I can’t give you a new world, but I can give you new eyes.” Grant us new eyes to see your power and your glory, to see you working in the family. Grant us more faith in your promises. Teach us how to listen to your Word. And we pray for all families that amidst all the challenges they can still strive to be holy. Amen.

Feast of Holy Family

After three days they found the child Jesus in the temple

Fr James McTavish FMVD

Today the Church liturgy celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Son of God became man and lived in a family. It helps us to reflect on what it means to be a family. Pope Paul VI wrote a homily on the Holy Family in 1964. He gave three characteristics of the life they lived in Nazareth – silence, love and work. Let us use these to guide our reflection and relate to the Word of God in the readings today.

The gospel of today (Luke 2, 41-52) breaks the silence of the hidden life of Jesus. We hear nothing of the childhood of Jesus until he is twelve years old and lost in the temple. Silence was a feature of the life in Nazareth. Silence is golden especially in the noisy world of today! Pope Paul VI said “If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual and the value of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.” The fruit of silence spent with God is love.

We are called to love our human family. This love should lead us to grow in awareness of being children of God. We are not only children of our parents but as St John reminds us “Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. And so we are.” (See 1 John 3, 1-2, 21-24). Our family life on earth should always be directed towards heaven. We can give many gifts to our children but the best gift I received from my parents was their faith and love for God and each other. 

It is quite fascinating the image of the Holy Family presented in the gospel today. Many images of the Holy Family show them peaceful, with halos and Colgate smiles. The holiness of real life is very different! The holy parents, Mary and Joseph seems to have done something not so holy – they have lost the child Jesus! They had all gone to Jerusalem together for a feast. On the way back the parents of Jesus assumed he was in the caravan. It took them three days to find him. I remember being lost for only a few hours and my parents were so anxious but imagine the angst of Mary and Joseph after three days. His mother said to Jesus “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Even more surprising is the response of the twelve year old Jesus “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

We can lose Jesus. It can happen to us too and can be part of our process of becoming holy! At times you have to search for Christ. This is a great antidote to mediocrity and complacency. One professional I know was telling me that he was bored with his faith, that the idea of sharing his faith with others was not exciting any more. He had lost his initial fire of following the Lord. He realised that it was time for a change. It was as if he had been with Jesus but in this moment of his faith journey he would have to search for the Lord with more intensity. These moments are a blessing, grace filled opportunities to grow, to move on otherwise you stagnate. Jesus said “Seek me and you will find me” if you seek me with all your heart. The problem is that sometimes we don’t search with all our heart, only part of it. 

Occasional restlessness is vital for us. If we become lazy in our spiritual lives then we need to work a little more. “Pray as everything depends on God, but work as if everything depends on you” the Saints remind us. Pope Paul VI reminds us “In Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect”. Work, both material and spiritual, helps us grow in holiness. 

How is my life of silence and contemplation? Does my love for my family remind each one that they are children of God and part of a bigger family? Am I working in my spiritual life? How can I search more for Christ? 

“Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.” (Lk 2, 45-47). If we feel we have lost Jesus be reassured that we can find him in silence, in love and in work even if it takes ‘three days’ (symbolic of the number of days between His death and resurrection). 

Let us give thanks for the life of the holy family, cherish our own more and more and offer a prayer today for all families especially those in most difficulty. Amen.