The Holy Family

Genesis 15:1-6,21:1-3
Hebrews 11:8,11-12,17-19
Luke 2:22-40

On Christmas Day we rightly concentrated our attention on the Infant God, but today – the Feast of the Holy Family – we extend our gaze to include Mary and Joseph.  We celebrate the fact that God chose to be born as a baby, and in so doing, he blessed and hallowed family life. And so we look to the Holy Family of Nazareth as the inspiration for our family life – a family life that has Jesus as its centre and its heart. But it is easy to miss the point or be sidetracked when we contemplate the Holy Family.  If we try to relate the everyday aspects of our family life with those of Nazareth, we find few points of contact.  If we compare ourselves in any way with the members of that family, we may be tempted to despair altogether.  

In our first and second readings, we focus on the theme of destiny.  From the Book of Genesis we heard how God blessed Abraham with the gift of a son, late in his life.  His wife, Sarah, was thought to be far beyond the age of conception.  They had given up hope of a natural son carrying on Abraham’s mission.  Sarah laughed at the idea.  When their child was born, he was named Isaac, a Hebrew word which picks up the sound of Sarah’s laughter.
In the second reading, the writer to the Hebrews re-tells this story, and reminds us that Abraham was put to the test when he was commanded to sacrifice his beloved Son Isaac.  The story ended happily – Abraham was ready to obey, but God provided a lamb for the sacrifice in Isaac’s place.  But the taste and smell of that moment remind us that family life is, for many parents, a continuing experience of sacrifice on behalf of their children.  Some of you here today know this only too well.  And increasingly, as the old live longer, later in their lives they may find the roles are reversed, as the children make sacrifices on their behalf and care for them in their last years.

The Gospel reminds us of Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus to the Lord to fulfill the Scriptures which established that “Every firstborn male shall be holy to the Lord.” Of all God’s chosen race, there was one person in particular who was given the grace to recognize Jesus for what He truly was.  That person was Simeon. In relation to the event, in Jerusalem Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel and had received from the Holy Spirit the message that he would see the Christ of the Lord. In the temple, the parents bring Jesus to him and Simeon realizes that God has just fulfilled his promise.

The feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth teaches us 3 things. The first is man is sacred to God so he must be offered to Him immediately. Among many senses being “sacred” means that someone or something is in communication with God, belongs to Him, so that the creature should be immediately recognized as a gift of God. From an early age in the family children should be taught to put themselves in communication with God, such as to pray …. (nowadays is it done?How? How important is education to the faith? Why do kids run away when a series of preparation for the sacraments is finished? Why when they come back they no longer know their prayers?), also to respect the perceptible reminders of God: the church, the commandments, the devotions, the statues, etc.

A private family ceremony had turned into a public revelation.  Simeon knew that what he had lived for was now fulfilled.  He could now depart in peace because of who the child was – the Prince of peace.  All his life, Simeon had lived in expectation of the one who would bring peace to Israel, and now the angels’ message was being fulfilled, ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.’
Simeon was waiting for consolation. It wasn’t easy for him to wait for it for so long, yet it has arrived. Simeon is able to recognize salvation, that is, the consolation that God has begun to work in Christ Jesus for the world.

Finally, the Spirit helps us to persevere: Several times in today’s Gospel the Holy Spirit is mentioned. Man alone, without the Spirit can never recognize God. That is why it is important to take care of the faith, to increase it, to exercise it. A prayer is good to do, but it is important to have a continuous relationship with God if we want to recognize Him when He tries to manifest Himself in our lives.
To be further explored: What is my relationship with God? How do I take care of my own faith and that of others?

Our families are places where, by God’s providence, we grow from infancy, through childhood to adult maturity.  Whether we love, or hate, our family memories, our upbringing has shaped us, and God’s will and his love have been at work.  If we are part of a family today, we should be asking whether our family life, like that of Abraham’s family and the Holy Family, is open to divine providence.  Is it a place where we contemplate our destiny under God?  Is it a community of prayer, open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit?  Let us ask Jesus, Mary and Joseph to bless our families, our homes, our loved-ones.  With Jesus as the constant centre of our homes and family life, we shall proclaim God’s glory to others. With Simeon, we shall announce the Prince of peace to all His family, throughout the world.   As we make prayer and pilgrimage together, may each member of every family understand more of their destiny.

Fr Joseph Osho