HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH
Abraham Lincoln was asked “If you had a second chance to be horn, how would you like your birth to be?” “I want to be born to the same parents, same poverty, and cobblers by professions.” “Why?” “Because, it is there that I found the fullness of love!”
Today, feast of the Holy Family, we are called to find the fullness of love in our families.
Pope Leo XIII, looking for a Saint… to be protector of the universal Church, chose a saint who led a most ordinary life, who never preached a sermon, who was not a martyr, life was quiet and uneventful. That is ST JOSEPH.
His life was an obedient one- guided by a commandment from heaven.
Father: PROCTECTOR
1st directed not to fear to take Mary
2nd commanded to flee to Egypt
3rd commanded to return to Israel
4th commanded to live in Galilee.
Mary: COMMITMENT
Mary was obedient too. Behold the handmaid of the Lord… a total surrender – a total commitment, that she had.
Jesus, SON: OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF HIS PARENTS
Perfect obedience to Joseph and Mary. Obeyed will of God his Father in Public life too. Not my will by thy will be done till the end of His life. Jesus the 30 years in Private with family in obedience. 3 years public life because of his obedience he was able to do the will of God his father.
Family values: of love, care and joy. What have we given to our child? Not who does our child look like?
In a family we need to learn compassion. Jesus learned this from Joseph.
– Woman caught in adultery
– Joseph loved Mary, showed compassion towards her and so went against the law of Moses to report and stone…. To showing love and mercy and compassion.
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A strong flood hit a town and washed away the house of Ramesh, Raju and Bablu. The parents got lost. The children were scattered. Fortunately, some years later a newspaper published the interview of Bablu who had become a renowned doctor in the city. Raju, a well known school teacher by now, read the news about Bablu and came to meet him. Both of them made an appeal to the people through the newspaper to inform them the whereabouts of Ramesh. To their surprise they found Ramesh to be in the jail arrested for a rape case in the city. When all the three brothers met they narrated their own stories. Ramesh had reached a city where he was drawn to a gang of thieves. Raju had gone in search of some shelter and he met a school principal who had no children of his own. He looked after Raju and trained him to be his successor. Bablu was taken home by a social worker and she trained him to be a medical doctor. Raju and Bablu were brought up in an atmosphere of respect for life. They could reach a good standard in life. Ramesh, on the other hand, grew up in an atmosphere of disrespect for life and ruined himself.
Today’s Readings are inviting the readers to introspect about their perception of their own family. Healthy and respectful relationships between husband and wife, and between children and parents pave way for a holy family. Three insights can be drawn from the Readings of today’s liturgy:
a) Respect for Parents earns God’s blessings:
The fourth commandment of God recorded in Exodus 20:12 has a promise of blessing of God. St Paul in Ephesians 6:2-3 says, that this is the only commandment that has a promise included in it. Respecting parents shows obedience to God’s command. Respecting aged parents shows their real worth in the eyes of the children. This respect is not simply a reward for the duties that the parents have carried out towards their children. It is a genuine response to the true love that one experiences through one’s parents. Such a respect for parents pleases God and fits into his plan for humanity.
b) Respect for one another brings peace: In the Second Reading St Paul exhorts the Colossians to live with one another in peace. He instructs four groups of people in a family: wives, husbands, children and fathers. Family life becomes a joyful experience if all these four groups maintain mutual respect towards one another. Wives are asked to respect their husband and vice versa. Children are asked to obey their parents. Parents are asked to treat their children with dignity.
c) Respect for God’s commands brings protection: Just as there is a commandment that says, ‘You shall honour your father and mother: there is also another commandment that says, ‘you shall not kill: Herod wanted to kill little infants for the sake of his selfish interests. He disobeyed (he was a half Jew) the commandment and sought to destroy family life in Judea and Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary on the other hand obeyed the commandment of God and their obedience brought protection to baby Jesus.
Reflection: In what way do I respect/disrespect my family members? In what way do I obey/ disobey God’s commandments?
Some important C’s to be kept in mind to build a good family life and thus come closer to the Holy Family:
– Caring (not just as servant),
– Compassionate (show compassion at home)
– Commitment (towards the family, be at home, at your work…)
– Compliment (whenever good is done)
– Children (they should be the center of family life)
– Communication (sometimes the neighbor knows not the family)
– Confession (to be ready to say I am sorry, ask for forgiveness and give)
– Call to pray (most imp part in the family life)
– Concern (about work, school, programs, sick, time to relax….)
PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
In you we contemplate
The splendor 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.
Fr. Franco Pereira, S.D.B.
