THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS,
MARY, AND JOSEPH
31 DECEMBER 2017
As we
continue to celebrate the Incarnation on this sixth day of the Octave of
Christmas, our Scripture readings invite us to consider the ways in which the
Word Made Flesh is present in our families.
As observant children of Abraham, Joseph and Mary do not consider
themselves merely “spiritual” because they are caring for the infant Messiah
and Son of God. They are also deeply
“religious.” They observe the religious demands
of the Law of Moses for women giving birth to a first born son and travel to
Jerusalem. In the Temple, they meet two
other children of Abraham. Both ancient
of days, Simeon rejoices that he could hold the Messiah in his arms before he
dies. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, he
sings a canticle describing the child’s identity and warns of the dangers of
his mission. Anna too rejoices that God
had kept his promise, as he had kept his promise centuries before to Abraham
and Sarah.
Saint Luke recounts this incident to
consider the implications of the Lord’s Nativity. Even though Jesus Christ is the Second Person
of the Trinity and was present at the creation of the world, he has also taken
on the fullness of our humanity. He is a
tiny, vulnerable baby who needs the care of parents, as any baby does. As he grows up, he learns the truth not from
angels giving him beatific visions, but from parents sharing their faith
through the religious customs they cherish.
In cultivating their love, they prepare him for the mission which Simeon
describes.
The incarnate Lord is present in
each one of our families. He is not
present physically as he was to Joseph and Mary. But, because of the Mystery of the
Incarnation, of God taking on human flesh, he dwells in our families, no matter
what they look like. Some of you will go
home to a family with two committed parents and children. Others will go home to a family broken by
death or divorce. Some of you will go
home to a dysfunctional family. Some of
you are like Anna the widow, with no one waiting for you. None of our families are like the Holy Family
of Nazareth. That is the reason I talk
about my own family on this feast. With
the death of my very colorful brother in law, my stories are not as dramatic. But, as we gathered in the rectory at
Christmas, we had our own “issues.” One
of my nieces till refuses to come to family gatherings, because she thinks we
hate her. One of my brothers was so sick
that he lost his desire to join us for our annual outing to the casino on Wednesday. One of my nephews and his wife brought their
two little children. They are adorable
and precious. But they also got tired quickly
and threw some pretty nice fits (making me more grateful for my gift of
celibacy!).
Be sure to look for aspects of
holiness in your family. Pope Francis says
that there are three marks that make a family holy. They spend time in payer. They keep the faith. They experience joy. Look for these marks, even if they might be
marginal. Be open to conversion – to
ways in which the Holy Spirit can help you to change in the New Year.
We also belong to a larger family – our
family constituted by baptism and gathering here on Sunday. We pray together. We work to keep the faith, to bring our
“spiritual” experiences to this “religious” setting. We hear God’s word and are nourished by the
Eucharist to be formed into a spiritual temple.
We experience joy at parish gatherings.
The Lord challenges us to recognize these marks of holiness and continue
to turn more completely to him. Abraham
and Sarah trusted that God would keep his promises. But it took time, and they had to be patient.
That is why we put the Covenant with Abraham (showing the stars in the sky and
the sands on the shore). Simeon and Anna
waited in hope. So did Joseph and Mary. Their examples encourage us to look for marks
of holiness already present in our families and to trust that God always keeps
his promises.
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