The Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph - C

No too many days ago, we were in the cave of Bethlehem, where we contemplated the birth of Jesus, the love of the Father who has sent his Son to us: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jn 3:16).

We have all celebrated with joy the great feast of Christmas. Today, the first Sunday after Christmas, the Church invites us to go to the town of Nazareth to contemplate the family of Jesus.

In this small town of Nazareth, Jesus lived in family during thirty years. When he left, he found a larger family. Who is my father and my mother?, Jesus asks, and he himself responds: Those who listen to the word of God and put it into practice. All of us are God’s family.

Let us look at Nazareth; there we see a model family, a deeply religious family that follows the Law. Thus, on the eighth day of his birth, Jesus was circumcised. Mary, did not have to go to the temple to be purified and make the offering, however, the gospel tells us how they went to the temple and offered a pair of young pigeons, as it was customary for poor families. Every Saturday each family went to the synagogue to listen to the word of God; and every year, it was also a custom to go up, in festive caravan, to the city of Jerusalem.

Every Israelite, on reaching the age of twelve, was considered responsible of fulfilling God’s Law. Jesus, obeying the Law, went up to Jerusalem with his parents, and went to the temple. He stayed there discussing with the doctors of the Law.

It was customary that men went together on one way and women together on another. After a day of journey they would join together. Joseph thought that Jesus went with Mary, and Mary thought that he had gone with Joseph. When they got together and saw that he did not go with neither, they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but since they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem. On the third day they found him in the temple, seated among the doctors of the Law, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers (Lk 2:46-47).

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety" (Lk 2:48).

Now comes the mystery! Joseph and Mary find Jesus in the temple; the mother asks him why he has stayed there: Did you not know that your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety? Let us pay attention to Mary’s words: Your father and I. Mary says, with all clarity, that Joseph is the father of Jesus.

Jesus answers to them: Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? (Lk 2:49). These are the first words of Jesus and they speak to us of the Father’s house. Jesus was conscious of being the Son of God, and because he is the Son of God, his house is the house of the Father.

The evangelist emphasizes that Mary and Joseph did not understand what he said to them; they did not understand his answer (Lk 2:50). They did not understand it but their faith made for what they did not understand. Both Mary and Joseph were people of much faith.

Jesus returned to Nazareth and continued to be under the authority of Joseph and Mary. And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favour before God and man (Lk 2:52). Jesus lived in an exemplary family.

CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR CHRISTIAN AND FAMILY LIFE

On this day dedicated to the family, let us speak a little about the family and let us look at it as something wonderful. It is the place where we find our roots, where we feel welcomed and understood. Our glance is directed to the family when our life becomes sad; is the place where we played as children; where as young people we discovered ours first dreams; where the spouses show their love to one another; where the children love and respect their parents; where the elderly are supported by their children, their grandchildren and other relatives. The family is a small community of love according to the will of the Lord.

There is nothing worst than a person without family or a family divided by egoism. If we made a survey to the people who have been in jails, we would easily see that the cause of their bad behaviour, is often a separated family.

Nowadays the family is continuously attacked. In many occasions, divorce is praised, premarital relations are allowed, abortion is approved, civil unions are  common place, and the number of nursing homes for the elderly is increasing day by day.

The Christian Family must make Jesus Christ known. The Pope in the encyclical "Familiaris Consortio" says it thus:  The Family and the Christian marriage build the church. Within the Family the human person is not only begotten  and progressively introduced, by means of the education, in the human community, but by means of and by the regeneration of Baptism  and education in the faith, is introduced in the family of God, which is the Church" (Nº 15).

Christian men and women who are listening to me, love the family, defend the family, be propagators of the family values, thus you will cooperate in the formation of a just and pleasant society, since society is a set of many families.

May Jesus, who had a great family experience, bless all families, and may all families follow the example of the great Family of Nazareth.

THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY

The Christian family could be compared to a chain dump, drawing fresh water with its buckets. The chain dump cannot be left idle, it needs to move, otherwise it rusts and it can no longer draw fresh water.

FRESH WATER FOR OUR FAMILY

Of fresh water we expect that it will help to:

1. Continue cultivating the love between the spouses, so that they can guide the children, daughters and sons-in-law, grandchildren and grand-grandchildren that come to be part of the new family when the children marry.

2. Water the large plant of faith that we have received from our parents, so that it can grow and we may transmit it to the children and to all our family.

3. Not to lose the joy of living, although we see that our body is growing old.

4. Not to dream of the return of past times, thinking that they were better. The best time is the present time and the one that is to come.

5. To know how to accept and to adapt to the changes of the Church and society, when these changes are good.

6. To continue in love in marriage; having spouses and children a great love for each other.

7. To continue working for marriage, the family, in these times when it seems to stagger.

8. Make couples be examples of the love for Jesus Christ, because they are really in love for one another.

9. To know how to work for our Christian community, for the Church and the society in which we live.

10. To dedicate ourselves more to the family, to the brothers and sisters, to the neighbours, to the poor and to every person in need.

We could add many other “fresh waters”; I believe that you, better than I, will know to continue the list.