Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Lectionary: 17
Reading I
God sets a father in honor over his
children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.
My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.
OR:
The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying:
“Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.”
But Abram said,
“O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
“See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
“No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir.”
The Lord took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would;
he did for her as he had promised.
Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age,
at the set time that God had stated.
Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his
whom Sarah bore him.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his
ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
OR:
R. (7a , 8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
constantly seek his face.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations
which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.
OR:
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
OR:
Brothers and sisters:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
--and Sarah herself was sterile--
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer
his only son,
of whom it was said,
“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
OR:
Heb 1:1-2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
They took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
—and you yourself a sword will pierce—
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Our Christmas celebration continues with the Feast of the Holy Family. It is through the relationship of the Holy Family that we receive a model of conduct that will bring us into that relationship and will also lead us into a deeper relationship with the Trinity. Inside every family, each person has a specific role that is assigned them through Natural Law and through the expectations put forward by society. These roles have been well-defined and have never really changed throughout the existence of humanity. Even though there have been attempts to redefine or minimize these in some way, their importance has been realized all the more as a result. The father and husband remain the protector, provider, and disciplinarian. The mother and wife remain the nurturer, care-giver, and lover. The children remain the receiver of all the values, lessons, and traditions that are passed down to them. They are also the ones who represent the perfection of love within a marriage, where the two flesh become one and life is created as a result. Just as Jesus Christ was perfect, so the Holy Family represented something perfect in the relationship that was established between the three: Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.
The expectations of Joseph cannot be minimized. He was told to take Mary as his wife and raise Jesus as his own. He did not hesitate to fulfill these responsibilities, nor did he shy away from them when things became challenging. Journeying to Bethlehem for the census, he then remained to build a new life for his family, choosing not to go back to Nazareth and to presumably avoid scandal. When the life of Jesus was threatened, he then abandoned his home and fled to Egypt where he again created a new life for his young family. In all instances, he put his family first above and beyond his own needs, wants, and desires. Mary, fifteen years old at the time, accepted her responsibility as the Mother of God, and was obedient to her husband also. She trusted him and she also trusted in God. Jesus for His part remained obedient to his parents even though His authority surpassed theirs. It is through the fulfillment of these roles that there was peace, security, and love.
When we all recognize our own roles within our family and try to fulfill the expectations thereof, only good things result. The Apostle Paul mentions in his letter to the Ephesians that, “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment to carry a promise with it — “that it may go well with you, and that you may have long life on the earth.” In other words, when our assigned roles within the family are executed, God is pleased and things are as they should be. Just as it was in the Holy Family, it can be in our lives when we set aside our prejudices, resentments, and anger to
strive for the vision of perfection within the Holy Family and to attempt to fulfill our expected roles within the family. Yes, this can be challenging at times, but nothing worthwhile is easy. There are also things that might be beyond our control. How can we fulfill our expected roles when possibly other members within a family did not fulfill their own? In reality, all will have to answer for their short-comings and the conduct of others should not excuse the things that we should be doing. In the end, each person will have to answer for their own conduct. There will be less tumult within our own lives if we focus on conducting ourselves rightly instead of pointing at the faults of other people. As Paul explained, “Observe that no one ever hates his own flesh; no, he nourishes it and takes care of it as Christ cares for the church—for we are members of his body.” Just as the Living Body of Jesus Christ functions with all of the successes and failures of those within, so too can a family function regardless of its disfunction, as long as there are those within willing to make the effort.
Within our own families, we can either be examples of Christ or a causation of division. We can either end suffering or perpetuate that same suffering. As Christians, we should be healers not harm-bringers. We should be uniters and not dividers. We should be instruments of peace and love. This is also true regarding our church community and in all of our relationships. Jesus Christ must be realized in all things. This starts within our households and extends forth through all of our relationships. As the Book of Sirach says,
“God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from thef m.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
We should honor God and honor ourselves through our conduct and the fulfilling of the expectation our Father and our God.
Deacon Tom
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