Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Cycle A, Year II)
Community Word: A joyful spiritual preparation brings Jesus to birth in our lives.
Theme: We bring Jesus to birth in our life when we honor our parents and those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
Promise: “Whoever reveres his father will live long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.” (Sir 3:6)
Reflection:
We celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family – the family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, to remind us what a Christian family is. They loved and respected one another, were united in worshipping and loving God and making Him the center of their lives. They lived out their lives and their respective roles in the family as prescribed by Holy Scriptures.
Joseph gives eloquent witness to his love for Mary and Jesus by remaining chaste, humble, harboring no bitterness, and providing for all the needs, care, and comfort of his family. He is a protective father, as we read in the Gospel. When warned in a dream of impending danger, he does not hesitate to take mother and child to Egypt and out of danger. And, as is the tradition of his time, Joseph teaches Jesus about Holy Scriptures.
Mary, on the other hand, is the ideal wife and mother, sewing clothes for her family, washing, cooking, and faithfully doing all the household chores expected of a dutiful wife and mother, as we read in Proverbs 31. She opens her mouth in wisdom and gives kindly counsel. It is she who, like any Jewish mother of her time, must have taught Jesus the fear of God.
Jesus, on the other hand is the obedient son to Joseph and Mary (Lk 2:51b), honoring his parents as prescribed by the 4th commandment, and studying Holy Scripture like any Jewish child of his time. From Joseph, Jesus learns his craft and trade, as a carpenter.
The basic lesson we learn from the Holy Family is fear of God; they faithfully observe God’s commandments; give witness to God’s love in each other and to others. They lead simple lives in the small town of Nazareth – “Can anything good come Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46) Both Joseph and Jesus are carpenters – a humble trade spoken of with some derision even in Nazareth, “Is he not the carpenter…?” (Mk 6:3).
In the face of the gradual breakdown of the traditional family, we look up all the more to the family values exemplified by the Holy Family. We are encouraged to live and give witness to authentic Christian family values as the simplest, most effective form of fostering our living faith in God, through mutual respect, trust, and love for one another within our respective families. We serve as inspiration and role models for other families, when we do not forget our responsibilities as parents in bringing our whole family to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; when we do not tire of modeling Jesus to our children by our active presence in our homes; by constantly affirming their dignity and talents; by sharing their concerns, listening to their doubts and aspirations; giving them hope and being supportive of their individual struggles; by being merciful and forgiving when they fail us, and always praying for them.
In a larger sense, our BLD Community is our family, and we look up to our leaders as parents, and members as the children. As leaders/parents, we have the responsibility to take care of the members/children, ensuring that they grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ. We must respect, revere, and love God and one another. We should avoid bitterness toward one another (Col 3: 21). We must be humble enough to listen to their concerns, share their aches, pains, and aspirations, refrain from rush judgment and imposing our parental authority without first carefully examining the issues and evaluating the situation. And be quick to admit and ask forgiveness, when we are in the wrong. People in positions of leadership must be patient as parents are with their children.
As members/children in community, on the other hand, we must persevere in putting on Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Rm 13:14), so that we can honor our leaders/parents as the anointed ones of God. We can be kind, humble, meek, and patient, and bear with them. We need to pray for them too that they continue to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength, wisdom, guidance and knowledge, as they witness to and lead us to Jesus.
Reflection Question:
How can I foster patience, humility, forgiveness, love, and unity in my family, in my work, and in BLD?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
December 29, 2013 (Sun) Sir 3:2-6/Ps 128:1-5/Col 3:12-21 /Mt 2:13-15,19-23
December 30, 2013 (Mon) 1Jn 2:12-17/Ps 96:7-10/Lk 2:36-40
December 31, 2013 (Tues) 1Jn 2:18-21/Ps 96:1,2,11,12,13/Jn 1:1-18
January 1, 2014 (Wed) Nm 6:22-27/Ps 67:2,3,5,6,8/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21
January 2, 2014 (Thur) 1Jn 2:22-28/Ps 98:1-4/Jn 1:19-28
January 4, 2014 (Fri) 1Jn 2:39-3:6/Ps 98:1,3,4,5,6/Jn 1:29-34
January 4, 2014(Sat) 1Jn 3:7-10/Ps 98:1,7-9/Jn 1:35-42
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
