Feast of the Holy Family
Sir 3:2-14; Col 3:12-17; Lk 2:22-40
Celebrating the family
One thing that I like about the feast of the Holy Family is that we get the opportunity to celebrate the family. We all agree that strong and healthy families are necessary we we need strong and healthy societies. However since society is changing so fast, because of some negative stories that we hear happening around us, and perhaps also because of our own experiences, we might sometimes regard the family as though it cannot be a place where grace can happen and where Jesus can show us his presence.
The Holy Family as an inspiration for us
In a way this is understandable. When we think of the Holy Family, which Pope Francis presents to us as the icon (Amoris Laetitia n. 30), we might easily be discouraged because we might say, "My family has absolutely nothing to do with the Holy Family! It is the complete opposite, it is so dysfunctional. Perhaps Gerald Durrell's family in his My Family and Other Animals might be a more reasonable comparison!" However we do not look at the Holy Family simply to compare ourselves to it, as we would compare our household with the household next door or across the street. Rather, we look at the Holy Family to be inspired by it, because as we shall see there are several points of contact between the Holy Family and the particular situations that we come across in our own families.The Trinity as a model for our relationships in the family
It is interesting to note that Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Love, where he speaks about the family, not only does he ask us to look at the Holy Family as our icon. He gives us an interesting twist: he refers to the Trinity eleven times as the model of love that we must live among us as family members. In other words, although none of us here in any way is comparable to Jesus or the Blessed Mother, no matter how dysfunctional our family is, that does not mean that we cannot try and live - in our own limited way - the mutual self-giving love that there is between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Pilgrimage #1: Towards the templs
The first thing that strikes us in today's Gospel is the pilgrimage that the Holy Family undertakes, or rather two pilgrimages: one towards the Temple and then another one back home. It is a pleasure to see families visiting places on interest together, or going to parks or on holidays together. How much more important it is to go on a spiritual pilgrimage together, that is, to journey together towards God. The beauty of attending mass together as a family especially when the children are young. I know that I am preaching to the choir here, because most of you already do this and therefore I want to you for this. No wonder the family is also called the domestic church (LG 11), the very primary school of prayer.Pilgrimage #2: Returning home
But then there is another pilgrimage: the pilgrimage back home. Here is where problems begin, because so far as we are in a different environment and there are all sorts of people around us, and so far as we are going to a place where we are visiting the Temple - or the church or sanctuary - ,where we are sure that we are to find God, everything is fine. The problems begin when we start heading home again, when we start becoming aware of our own limitations and of our family members's limitations again. The problems begin when we doubt whether God is present at home as much as he is present in the temple. The problems begin when we start facing our daily chores again (there are no dishes to be washed in the temple). However one thing to keep in mind is that Jesus was born into a family. The family became the place where God became flesh and dwelt among us. In other words, the household is as much a privileged place to meet God as is the temple itself. I know families who create prayer corners in their own homes so that they might act as concrete reminders of the presence of God among them.The family as the training ground of virutes
It is particularly in this pilgrimage back home that as a family we can grow in the values and virtues. St Paul reminds us of this very eloquently in his letter to the Colossians. In fact, he makes a whole list of virtues that the family can act as a training ground in: "Heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another...over all, put on love which is the bond of perfection." This is quite a tall order, true. We learn them by observation and by repetition, by acknowledging that we did not manage this time and that we can try harder next time.The indispensable role of the elderly in our families
However in today's gospel we also notice the presence of two elderly people who contribute to the building of the Holy Family: Simeon and Anna. We read about the holy life they are leading, how they recognise God in Jesus and how they speak of God, even to Mary and Joseph themselves. Simeon and Anna remind us of the elderly, the grandparents, and the granduncles and grandaunts who have this special relationship with the Lord. They have been through a lot in life, they have now acquired the wisdom of discerning what is good and what is bad, what is truth and what is not true. Simeon and Anna invite us to rediscover the importance of the elderly in our life, especially in the duty they have to hand on the faith. Recall how Paul reminds Timothy of the faith that he received from his grandmother Lois (2 Tim 1:5). This also comes with a responsibility of respecting the elderly, as we have read int eh first reading from Sirach, and of acknowledging the contribution that they can still give to society, a contribution that is much more profound and valuable than that which contemporary society often offers us.It might be suitable to end with the prayer Pope Francis concludes Amoris Laetita with:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendour of true love; to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment