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(29th December 2024) Homily for the Feast of Holy Family

READ: (Sir 3:2-6, 2-14; Col 3:12-21; Lk 2: 41-52)

REFLECT: Let’s build a family of God – Listen to God’s voice, show equality to all and set God as first priority in family

My dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of Holy Family. We all know that family is a school of leaning, loving, living in unity, joy, fellowship, peace and good-will. Because before we could enter a school, we are taught in the family what to be, how to be. Thus family plays a very significant role in the life of an individual. Today, there are many orphaned and abandoned children who have no love, no care and no ethic and moral value. It is all because they were not part of the family. They have been one way or the other has lost the great opportunity of leaning, loving and living in unity. That’s why it is said, “Whatever we give to life, the life gives back to you in fuller measure.” if the family is filled with love it is a loving family, if happiness and a happy family, grace-graceful family, prayer- prayerful family. Therefore, what we give to life is what we become and what we are.

Today, it is a joy for all of us that the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Feast of Holy Family. It is true that holy family truly sacred because the three persons were also fully Holy, pure and graceful. The Holy Family consisting of Jesus, Mary and Joseph stands as an example not only just to appreciate, but to follow their life-style and to live like them. We human beings are always taken up, when we observe or experience something good, pure and holy. Today, it is pleasing to hear about the family which was loving, kind and tender-hearted to one another. The three members of the Holy Family had something unique and common. Mary did what God wanted. Joseph Did what God Wanted. Jesus Did What God Wanted. Therefore, Doing Father’s will in life is the utmost importance of being and living a Holy Family. So in what way we can do and fulfill God’ will in our lives is what today’s feast of the Holy Family teaches us to be. There are three things which were present in the Holy Family of Nazareth; I would like to share the same.

1. Ability to Listen God’s voice

We can hear sounds of different kind but the art lies in listening to things which are worth more than anything in the world. The art of listening has become the very being of Holy Family lived at Nazareth. Mother Mary Listened to God’s voice and said yes to God’s plan by humbling herself, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, Be it done to me according to your word.” St. Joseph, the just and innocent saint listened to the voice of God in a dream and prepared himself not to denounce Mary publicly, putting Mother Mary into pubic scam and shame. Jesus did listen to the voice of God at every door step of his ministry, that’s why he could find success in all that he did. The most important part of listening to the voice of God for Jesus was at Gethsemane, a time of great agony, where he discerns the will of God for Him saying, “Father if it is possible take away the cup of suffering, nevertheless not my will but your will be done.

Yes, we need to listen to the voice of God in our daily living. The great moments of the three members of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph), which led them always together to be gripped by the Lord and be secured by the Lord is their ability to listen to God’s voice at different point of time. Today, most of us lack in us is this, “lacking an ability to listen to the voice of God.” We hear so much, we are confused and confronted and choose other than what we wish to be. Today we pray that we have gift of listening to God’s voice like Jesus, Mary and Joseph in our lives.

The first reading from the book of Sirach highlights significance of the ability to listen to each other and understand well. That’s what we read in the book of Sirach to honor and obey the father and mother. The one who honors father atones for sins and the one who glorifies mother will be like the one who lays up treasure.  Yes, honoring father and mother, giving space to children would be visible, when each one in the family has the ability to listen to God’s voice. The moment we listen to God’s voice, God’s direction and guidance take upper hand we begin to love and respect one another in the family.

As Pope Francis very beautifully says, “Listening. The Lord’s call – let it be said at the outset – is not as clear-cut as any of those things we can hear, see or touch in our daily experience. God comes silently and discreetly, without imposing on our freedom.  Thus it can happen that his voice is drowned out by the many worries and concerns that fill our minds and hearts. We need, then, to learn how to listen carefully to his word and the story of his life, but also to be attentive to the details of our own daily lives, in order to learn how to view things with the eyes of faith, and to keep ourselves open to the surprises of the Spirit.” So let us listen to God’s voice and discern for ourselves the will of God in our lives.

2. Equality in the Family

 What is valued more in family is this equality, for equality gives one their identity and dignity. This virtue of equality is very well found in Jesus, Mary and Joseph. First of all three of them were chosen by God himself to bring salvation to entire humankind. They could have easily argued among themselves saying I was chosen by God; therefore what I say is right. But three of them play their part equally well without any quarrel and misunderstanding. Today most of our families are experiencing a tragic end of divorce, sense of pride and arrogance because we don’t value each other in the family. One thinks, he or she is far greater than sky, there is no acceptance of what a person is, there is no equality of people as we are, there is no much scope made for freedom. Equality consists not in analyzing the degree of variation rather in respect and love for each other.

The second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Colossians very beautifully points out that in everything parents need to please the Lord, in their admonition to children. The opening passage of the reading tells us to realize that as chosen ones of God, holy and beloved; we need to forgive one another as God has forgiven us in Christ; to put on love which binds everything in perfect harmony and above all the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. So husband loving his own wife; wife submitting to her husband and children to love and obey their parents. These are the binding virtues in the family. When everyone understands their importance and role in the family, the family shall be a happy family. Equality in the family would mean giving space according to their responsibility and role, making everyone in the family feel important, happy and good. These vibes make family happy and joyful. That’s what we see in the Holy Family of Nazareth. They understood their roles and responsibility and accordingly co-operated with the plan of God.

Pope Francis very aptly encourages the family saying, “The Christian seed of radical equality between spouses must bear new fruit today. The witness of the social dignity of marriage will become persuasive, the witness of reciprocity between husband and wife, of complementarity. And as Christians we must become more demanding in this respect.” Yes, the equality in families is realized when we understand our identity as children of God, the dignity that we give what others deserve and the responsibility we do it with utmost care what has been entrusted to us. This is what we see in the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph). They all understood their identity, dignity and responsibility and so they fostered equality according to the responsibility that they were entrusted with. Today we need to pray for such wisdom in our lives to understand our identity as children of God, the dignity as God’s children and the responsibility that we are entrusted in family as parents, spouses and children etc. May the Holy Family bless us all.

3. Priority in the family

What makes a family more successful and faithful to each other is the priority that we set. If the priority is not set right, the privilege of living a holy and good family life will be lost and will be at stake. But we know the priority that has been set by Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family. Jesus has set a priority in his life. Today we have the episode of loss of Jesus in the temple. The worry and anxiety of Joseph and Mary; they were heart-broken, their hopes were shattered; they search for him vehemently and ceaselessly; But when they found, Jesus says to them, “Do you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs,” (Lk 2:49). Perhaps, it is a cool and casual answer, but there is a meaning implied in what Jesus says to them. It is not that Jesus reproaches or rejects Mary and Joseph rather he shares with them his priority, to be with God and to share his good news to the humanity and fulfill his will.

I would understand that the Father’s affair is nothing but enlightening people who did not know God, His love and wisdom. The Father’s affair is to make the people come closer to God, who have gone far away by their petty aspirations and ambitions. The Father’s affair is to make the people listen to him and do his will on earth. In all things, Jesus has made known to the people the desires, wishes, wisdom and will of God. It shows how Jesus was single-mindedly focused to move what God wanted of him on earth. Jesus makes sure that his mission entrusted by God needs a immediate attention and start. Therefore, he gets this opportune time to debate or discuss with people and derive at a point of conclusion that amused them all. That’s what we hear too, “All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” We see here, Jesus giving priority to God and his work.

Similarly, Mary and Joseph too had set priorities in life; to co-operate with the plan of God, to serve for the purpose that they have been chosen for, to fulfill what has been asked of them. That’s why, when Jesus said, “Did you not know that I must be busy with affairs,” they did not take it as an offence or rejection, although in the gospel it is written that they did not understand what Jesus spoke to them. Therefore, we see in this episode of the loss of Jesus in the temple that Jesus gives priority to God, Mother Mary and Joseph too give priority to God. 

Today we all lack setting priority to God. We have misplaced our priorities or fail to recognize the right priorities in life. Perhaps, many of the families at Nazareth lost the opportunity of having the privilege of seeing Christ or giving place to Jesus in the middle of the night, when Mother Mary was crying in anguish of child birth, when Joseph was knocking door to door for help.  They were not prepared to welcome the unknown and unexpected guest or have failed to prioritize as to whom they should welcome. They were frightened, if they could give them place what would happen or what would others say.  The privileged one’s to see the messiah at first were the shepherds, cattle and the kings who paid homage to the Saviour born to save us all. This situation could be applied to us as well. Sometimes, we are not prepared to see Jesus in the other, in the pain or joys of the others in the family or society.

Today, there is a lot of problem in the family because we have not set what is at first and what is at second. We expect everything to work well instantly without much plan and thought, labor and hard work. This sort of lethargy brings in family a division, turmoil, scandal and destruction. If we as a family set first priority as God, all things will definitely function smoothly. But we have set priority on materialism, individualism, regionalism, groupism etc. Therefore the mixed and misplaced priorities hamper the smooth functioning and peaceful harmony in the family. We pray that we prefer God at first than anything in the world. Let us realize that everything can be right, when we set our priority in God and in God's work.

RESPOND:

Do we have the ability to listen to voice of God in our lives?

Do we show or experience equality in the family according to each one’s dignity?

Do we set God as our prime priority in the family to do responsibly, the works entrusted to our care?

Let us pray that we obtain the ability to listen to God’s voice, set priority in our families and experience equality in our families. Amen.

Happy Feast of the Holy Family. God bless us all…

Live Jesus!