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30th December

Feast of the Holy Family

READ: (Sir 3: 2-6, 12-14; Matt 2: 13-15, 19-23)

REFLECT: Holy Family – a model of perfect submission, perfect love and perfect harmony and union for all families

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast day of the Holy Family Consisting of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. The Feast portrays the Holy Family of Nazareth as the true model of life from which our families can draw inspiration and know where to find help and comfort. On this day, we honor the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  In honoring and respecting them, we also honor and respect all the families in the world.  In honoring all families, we honor the family of God on earth, the Mother Church. 

It is also said that the veneration for the Holy Family did not arise until the 17th century. The feast was not officially recognized until the feast day was formally instituted in 1921 under Pope Benedict XV. Originally, the feast was celebrated on the Sunday after Epiphany. Later, the Feast of the Holy Family was moved to the Sunday after Christmas in 1969, bringing it within the Christmas season. The feast of the Holy Family is placed appropriately between Christmas and New Year’s Day and serves as a bridge that connects both the events of the birth of Jesus Christ and Mary as the Mother of God, to celebrate the feast of the Holy Family meaningfully.

The feast is called as the feast of the Holy Family because of the holiness and blessings that they received from God. They were holy because they placed God at the center of their family life, they loved and sacrificed for one another, they manifested that love to others in the redemptive plan of the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ.

Based on the liturgy of the word and the feast day of the Holy Family, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

 1. Holy Family - A model of perfect submission:

Perfect submission is a total surrender. It is entrusting our total self to the one whom we surrender to take control of our lives and life-situation. We don’t usually make a perfect surrender to anyone because total surrender involves trust and confidence. As God is the creator of us and giver of life, it is our bounden duty and privilege to submit ourselves to God. Therefore, we make a perfect submission of life to God alone. For submission to God’s authority and power bring freedom and satisfaction. It brings about unimaginable blessings and surprises in life.

That’s what we see in the Holy Family at Nazareth, all of them (Joseph, Mary and Joseph) totally surrendered themselves to God’s will. They surrendered their life in the hands of God for fullness of joy and blessings to come. Very meaningful verse about submission we have from St. Paul’s letter “When the Father has subjected everything to him, the Son will place himself under the One who subjected everything to him. From then on, God will be all in all,” (1 Cor 15:28). Of course, this bible verse speaks about the submission of Jesus to the Father. But this submission of Jesus does not arise from weakness but for strength and grace from God.

So submission is not about losing oneself but giving honor and gaining strength; submission frees us from self-centeredness and allows us to consider the desires of others and have consideration for others. Submission to another does not reveal us that we are weak but allows us to be strong enough to open our hearts to others. Yes that’s what we see in the life of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Mother Mary at the time of annunciation surrendered herself to the will of God; St. Joseph accepted Mary as his wife surrendered himself to the will of God according to the instructions from the angle of God; Jesus accepted the plan of God to pitch his tent among us, accepted Joseph and Mary as his earthly parents and submitted himself to the plan and will of God, even to the extent giving up his own life for love of us. Therefore, we see a perfect submission in all three at the Holy Family in Nazareth.

Today what blocks us from growing and seeing the brighter side of life in the family is our attitude and approach about submission and surrender. We feel that submitting means we become weak or slaves of the other or we are not right or we are not good. But in reality, submission helps us to accept the other as they are and realize who we are. We open a way for growth and learning in submission to God and submission to right persons in families or life. Let us realize in submission the relationship blooms in the family. Just as the Holy Family at Nazareth submitted to God and one another in the family, so also let us submit our family cares and concerns to God, submit ourselves to one another in the family to live a healthy and happy family.

2.     Holy Family – A model of perfect love:

Perfect love is the presence of God for God is love. That’s what we hear from the letter of St.  John, “God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16). We can be sure that there was a perfect love in the Holy Family at Nazareth, because the presence of God was felt at every moment of their life. In the Holy Family at Nazareth, there is an acceptance of everyone as they are, love each other as God-given gift. They loved each other so well that there were no chances of hurt and hatred among them. They could love each other and others so well in the family, because there was perfect equilibrium of love shared among them.

Today Living in loving relationship with the family has become the most difficult issue, because we don’t share or show genuine love to one another. There are series of intimate conflicts, deep wounds; unforgiving attitude, jealousy and pride; as family members are so familiar to each other the love of each one is taken lightly or taken for granted; it is like a prophet who is not respected in his home town, so also the family members at times are not loved, respected and appreciated in the family. As a result, the devoid of love in the family among family members there is a fraction and makes family life chaotic.

Today the feast of the Holy Family calls us our attention to look at the Holy Family as models of fraternal love in a world of fragmented family life. The gospel reading of the day gives us a clear message from St.  Joseph. Joseph did as the angel of the Lord told to him in a dream: He rose, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. Yes, doing what God told Joseph brought a love feel in the family, although the situation made them feel tensed about. But it definitely created love in the family and promoted love in the family. Imaging, if St. Joseph were to do what he had felt or to give up the plan of God as angel told him to do. There would have been definitely havoc. But we see that Joseph journeys with God’s plan, realizes God’s love and protection for his family. Therefore, he was able to experience the saving act of God, getting the entire family away from the destruction that King Herod was to bring about.

Indeed, it was God’s love and plan for the Holy Family, but we see as well Joseph’s love for God and his plan seen in the love that he shows to Mother Mary and the Child Jesus, taking them from one place to another place all of a sudden. Yet, without any hesitation and resentment Joseph takes both of them as God directed. Joseph was certain that God would take care of them; Joseph was certain that God’s plan and God’s love never fails; Today, if we want to experience love in the family, we need to have love for God and love for God’s plan. Without loving God and without co-operating to God’s plan, there won’t be perfect love possible in the family. So we need to establish love in the family like Holy Family of Nazareth, we must co-operate with God’s plan and we must incorporate Jesus, Mary and Joseph into our lives through affection for one another.

Today, love within our own families become conditional “if you love me only I will love you.” Love is become personal, “I love myself no one else.” Love is become rational, “if person is beneficial I will love or do anything otherwise I don’t bother.” Love needs to be inter-personal one person to another. Love needs to be relational to be deeply bonded and united in relationship. Let us remember that true love is never conditional but unconditional; true love is not rational but always real.

The unconditional love and the real love is what we see in the Holy Family at Nazareth. Their love for each other was unconditional and real. They expected nothing in return. They loved each other as God wished and so they were surrounded by God’s love and grace at every moment of their life. Their love for God and for one another in the family was supplemented by faith and hope. Today as human beings in the web of human families, love is foundational for a good family living but it is a choice. We are free to choose. So let us choose like the Holy Family at Nazareth to love God and to love one another in the family for one another’s welfare and well-being.

3.     Holy Family - A perfect Model of harmony or union:

A perfect union and harmony in the family is established when the dignity of each one in the family is respected. The relationship between the members of the family is the basic budding forth of union in the family. The bond of relationship needs to be genuine. That’s what we see in the Holy Family consisting of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. All three of them were different from each other in status, power, honor, age, qualities. Yet, they were able to strike a balance in every situation to establish harmony.

The first reading from first letter of St. John speaks to us in what way we can honor a father and mother in the family. The one who honors father atones for his sins and the one honoring mother lays up treasure. The one who honors father will be gladdened by his own children, will obtain long life and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother. Further, the first reading as well invites us to respect parents in their old age and in sickness is to be taken seriously without despising them or dishonoring them in life.

Yes, perfect harmony and union in the family is possible when we recognize the good in the other, support each other and respect the dignity of each other in the family. Today, the main cause of disharmony and disunity in the family is lack of love, respect, recognition and encouragement. The family is divided today, because we don’t work for the common good of all but individual promotion of self.  Imagine today, if a parent does not respect the children or recognize the goodness in the children or children do respect and recognize the good in the parents about their roles and responsibilities, goodness and goodwill, the family will have its own ruin, there won’t be harmony and unity in the family.

There was a perfect union and harmony was possible in the family of Nazareth because of Jesus. Although, Jesus was God yet learned to accept Joseph and Mary as his human parents as God’s plan for growth and fulfillment; he respected them as deserved. Similarly, Joseph and Mary accepted Jesus as the Son of God and Journeyed with Him as was directed by God the Father.

Today perfect harmony and union in the family would be possible and a reality if we unite ourselves in mind, heart and spirit. That’s why it is said, “A family that prays together stays together.” So uniting ourselves in God and for God’s work; uniting ourselves for Good and good work; uniting ourselves for the good in the family and for the family members; uniting ourselves in prayer would bring about harmony and union in our families. Let me conclude with an inspiration from Venerable Fulton Sheen. It is said that Venerable Fulton Sheen used to inscribe “JMJ” in remembrance of the Holy Family whenever he wrote religious reflections and instructions. Yes, let us remember the Holy Family and take Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus as model to live life in perfect submission, perfect love and perfect harmony and establish a Holy Family atmosphere in our own families.

RESPOND:

Do we recognize the holiness in the Holy Family at Nazareth consisting of Joseph, Mary and Jesus?

Do we make an attempt to establish love, peace and harmony in the family?

Do we make a total submission of our families in the hands of God?

Let us submit our families to God, promote love as prime factor in the family and live in harmony and union with our family members, following the model of Holy Family at Nazareth. Amen.

Wish you all a happy feast of the Holy Family. God bless us all.

Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS