Readings:
1 Sm. 1:20-21, 24-28; 1 Jn. 3:1-2, 21-24; Lk 2:41-52
We Must Always Return to Jerusalem to Find the Missing Link in Our Relationship
1. When a man and a woman get married, they always
think of a place they can call home, a place to return to after a day’s job,
and where they would raise a family. A home should be a mini-church where the
family gathers for prayer, reflection, and spiritual discussions. It should
also be a mini-school where children learn about their faith and the teachings
of the Church. It should also be a mini-social center where the family shares
meals, celebrates special occasions, and supports each other. Children learn to
be good, loving, graceful, forgiving, gentle, humble, and spiritual from their
parents. At home, they learn to pray. They learn table manners from home as
well. What they learn from school should complement what they learn from home.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Mary was a homemaker while Joseph was a carpenter – the breadwinner and the
child Jesus learned from his parents. At least, so it seems! Was their home
free from anxiety? Were they worried about anything or any member of the
family?
2. In the Collect today, we
asked God to give us the shining example of the Holy Family so that we may
imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of
charity and so, in the joy of his house delight one day in eternal rewards.
We want to model our family after that of the Holy Family. The first reading
narrates the religious practice of Elkanah’s family. It was customary for them
to go and present themselves to the Lord in the temple in Shiloh to fulfill
their vows. They would offer sacrifices and prayers of thanksgiving to God for
the blessings received. Samuel was an answer to Hannah’s prayer. She had asked
the Lord for him and promised to offer the child to God should God answer her
prayers. Now Hannah went to make good her pledge. Since God was at the center
of her life, she dedicated Samuel to God. This dedication and commitment to
God’s teachings and the example the Holy Family sets should inspire and
motivate us in our family lives.
3. In the gospel, we meet
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, who, as a typical Jewish family, also made the annual
pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. It was, no doubt, a joyful
celebration where families traveled in groups and enjoyed the company of one
another. Things sometimes get in the way of such gatherings, and the important
things often get ignored or forgotten. In this journey, we see a typical family
dynamic in the Holy Family. The boy Jesus was forgotten and inadvertently left
behind in the temple. One can only imagine the anxiety and panic that Mary and
Joseph experienced during those agonizing hours that they could not account for
Jesus’ whereabouts. They took him for granted and let their guards down. They
thought Jesus would be taken care of by family members. They took some time out
to be Mary and Joseph and not parents of a young boy of 12. Most families often
find themselves in a similar situation. They take things for granted and
usually feel that the kids will be just fine in the care of others.
4. Isn’t it true that we often
take things for granted ourselves, get busy with our jobs, and think of
providing material things for our children, and we usually forget who is taking
care of them? Children who grow up without close supervision from parents and
caring adults develop their personalities and take up the guardian’s attitude.
Truth be told, once you become parents, you live not for yourselves but for the
children. Hence, the Church teaches the importance of responsible parenthood.
This is not a burden but a privilege and a responsibility that we can handle.
Christian homes must be enabling environments for children to grow into
responsible adults. If not, it may be too late to salvage the situation when
they discover the children are not with them.
5. The
beauty of the Holy Family and what makes it holy is that after paying the price
for taking things for granted, they returned to the source where it all began –
the temple. It was in the temple that they discovered Jesus. While they took
things for granted, God was at work protecting his own. God had taken charge of
Mary and Joseph’s situation. In referring to giving time to one another in the
family, we must admit that the demands of time and situation are different
today. The Holy Family of Nazareth was like any human family of their time.
They also experienced the struggles of life – being refugees, working hard to
make ends meet, having to meet the demands of the law, and all the other
tensions that an ordinary family had to face. Despite all that, they were happy
together. They went through their struggles together. But most of all, they
always had time for God. God was in the center of their lives. To turn our
families into holy families, we must allow the bond that binds us together to
grow stronger and our love for every family member unconditional. We must bear
with one another in love and forgive each other as soon as a misunderstanding
occurs. We must never take any member of the family for granted. Most of all,
we must always return to Jerusalem to find the missing link of our
relationship; there, we will see Christ. He will teach us that the family that
prays together stays together. May the Holy Family intercede for us on this day
and into the new year. Amen. Happy Holy Family! Happy New Year to one and all.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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