FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY: LUKE 2:41-52
Today is the last Sunday of the year. It is a good time to reflect on our successes and failures, our times of joy and sadness, and then to look ahead with hope and expectation of the possibilities of 2025!
Many families went through different tragedies this year — like the death of a loved one, the pain and suffering of illness, or the loss of a job. Others have experienced separation or divorce or the distance of children. Today, many families experience a lot of anxiety, conflicts, and problems. Mary and Joseph also went through all kinds of suffering and difficult situations; they were even facing the loss of their own child, Jesus. However, Mary and Joseph listened to the angel of the Lord and followed God’s directions.
In today’s Gospel story, we heard that Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to find Jesus after they realized he was missing from their group during the Passover pilgrimage. We could imagine what terrible pain, fear, and immense worry they went through when they lost their child, Jesus! What kind of emotions must Mary and Joseph have felt as they searched for their son?
This story reminds us that even the parents of Jesus felt that they lost their child in the “crowd.” Sometimes, we feel that we are church people, practicing faith well and doing a lot of charitable work, but we can easily lose the experience of Jesus’ presence in the “crowd.” In the “crowed” of our busy lives, “crowed “of our own personal struggle, ego, selfishness, and sinfulness. Today, our responsibility and challenge as Christians is to search for Jesus instead of assuming that Jesus is with us!
Joseph and Mary gave us the inspiration that when we face difficulties and problems in our families, we can listen to God and follow God’s directions. A holy and loving family is not one in which trials do not happen but one in which the members work together with love and compassion. The family becomes holy when we keep God as the treasure in our homes. The family becomes holy when we treat each other with respect and forgiveness. The family becomes holy when we make time to listen and learn from one another. If there is no sacrifice for one another, there is no holy family. Each family is called to be a holy family, not a “perfect” family. We can bring respect, mutual understanding, and self-sacrifice to the foundation of the family.
Pope Francis said about families, “In family life, we are committed to respect each other, to heal the wounds, to build bridges, to strengthen relationships, and to bear one another’s burdens.” The Pope continued by saying that being part of a family means being faithful in our everyday lives and loving each other on our best days and worst days.
A senior judge of the Supreme Court congratulated the bride and groom after their marriage, and the judge said, “Make your family a confessional room rather than a courtroom.” If the husband and wife start arguing with each other like attorneys in all matters to justify their behaviors, their family becomes a court of law, and nobody wins. On the other hand, if the husband and wife behave as if they are in confessional, they are ready to admit to each other their mistakes and correct each other, and then they receive God’s grace! Then the family becomes a heavenly one!
Our celebration today calls us to follow the model of the Holy Family. Holy families do not just happen. They are something we consciously create by having all members work together and persist in tough times. God gave us our families as gifts and legacies. We are called to love, cherish, and constantly build them up, even if they are imperfect and messy.
Let us pray during this Holy Mass for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to protect our families from all dangers. We all know that only mutual love and acceptance of responsibilities can save them with the help of God. Let us also pray for all families, especially for those with serious problems, so that God will guide them and help them resolve their problems in a Christian way.
“We learn many virtues in our Christian families. Above all, we learn to love, asking nothing in return.” St. Mother Teresa!