Holy Family Dec 30, 2007
Feast of Holy Family
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
On this Feast of the Holy Family, when we hear of Jesus and his parents fleeing Herod’s threats, scripture scholar William Barclay offers us a fanciful tale that further brightens the season, calling our attention to the glittering, sparkling adornment of the Christmas trees that grace our homes:“When Joseph and Mary were on their way to Egypt, the story runs, as the evening came they were weary, and they sought refuge in a cave. It was very cold, so cold that the ground was white with hoar frost. A little spider saw the baby Jesus, and he wished so much that he could do something to keep him warm in the cold night. He decided to do the only thing he could and spin his web across the entrance to the cave, to make, as it were, a curtain there.
“Along the path came a detachment of Herod’s soldiers, seeking for children to kill to carry out Herod’s bloodthirsty order. When they came to the cave they were about to burst in to search it, but their captain noticed the spider’s web, covered with the white hoar frost and stretched right across the entrance to the cave. ‘Look,’ he said ‘at the spider’s web there. It is quite unbroken and there cannot possibly be anyone in the cave, for anyone entering would certainly have broken the web.’
“So the soldiers passed on, and left the holy family in peace, because a little spider had spun its web across the entrance to the cave. And that, so they say, is why to this day we put tinsel on our Christmas trees, for the glittering tinsel streamers stand for the spider’s web, white with the hoar frost, stretched across the entrance of the cave on the way to Egypt.” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. I, p. 35)
How appropriate, then, for the Church to invite us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday following Christmas. Even though God was the Father of Jesus, he wanted his divine son to experience the nurturance of a human family. So, in addition to Mary his Mother, he gave him Joseph as a human father to stand in his place. Thus God obviously considers human family life to be good and holy.
A little boy greets his father as he returns from work with a question: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?” The father is surprised and says: “Look, son, not even your mother knows. Don’t bother me now, I’m tired.” “But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour?” the boy insists. The father finally gives up and replies: “Twenty dollars.” “Okay, Daddy,” the boy continues, “Could you loan me ten dollars?” The father yells at him: “So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Now, go to sleep and don’t bother me anymore!” At night the father thinks over what he said and starts feeling guilty. Maybe his son needed to buy something. Finally, he goes to his son's room. “Are you asleep, son?” asks the father. “No, Daddy. Why?” replies the boy. “Here's the money you asked for earlier,” the father said. “Thanks, Daddy!” replies the boy and receives the money. Then he reaches under his pillow and brings out some more money. “Now I have enough! Now I have twenty dollars!” says the boy to his father, “Daddy, could you sell me one hour of your time?” Today’s gospel has a message for this man and for all of us, and the message is that we need to invest more of our time in our family life.
To lead a good family life please remember this motto: which goes this way: Joy at the Examples of Sacrifice and Unity for Salvation. The acronym is J-E-S-U-S (Joy at the Examples of Sacrifice and Unity for Salvation). To be successful in a family, one must learn to be like J-E-S-U-S or Jesus. From this holy family we get J-E-S-U-S. Joy—Examples—Sacrifices—Unity—Salvation
First, JOY of life. You remember my Christmas homily about Joy:Joy stands for Jesus first, Others next and You the last but not the least. There are EXAMPLES to emulate. There is Joseph, the righteous man of God who devoted his life for his family. He understood his stewardship role, that although Jesus was in his care, he always had to let him go for God. There is the mother Mary. She was attentive to God through the angelic call. She nurtured herself with God's word and followed her Son Jesus from the beginning to the end of his life. She stood at the foot of the Cross. Any member can be assured that Mary also stands by him, especially in moments of trials and tribulations. It is the example of the Holy Family that we can imitate. Third, the Holy Family is marked also by a spirit of SACRIFICE. At the appointed time, the family went to the Temple for sacrificial offerings (Lk 2:22-40). Then as they have to fulfill God's plan for them, they had to go through lots of sacrifices. But anything they did, it was holy or sacred before God. They offered their whole life to the Lord wherever they were, whenever and whatever they did. Fourth, the Holy Family was marked by UNITY of mind, heart and soul in God. Led by their Son Jesus, even Mary and Joseph were reminded that they have to be about the Father's business, (Lk 2:49). What unites the family should be the promotion of God's will in word and deed. It should also be the goal of every community, be it a parish, a family. Lastly, the objective in life is our eternal SALVATION. We may strive to be rich, healthy, well-educated and rightly connected. But all of these are meaningful only when they promote our final union with God in His kingdom. Otherwise, it is a vain and useless life.
To measure how much you are contributing into making your family a loving home ask yourself how much of the three A’s – Attention, Affection, and Appreciation – you are giving to each and every member of your family. We all need to give, as well as receive, the three A’s in order to love and feel loved. Next to the home, the church should be a family – an extended family – where we give and receive love. Take time today to look to your right or your left and notice a man, woman, teenager or child who could do with a little bit more of attention, affection and appreciation. Sure enough, our neighbor is found outside the home and the church, but if we can start being more loving in the home and the church we would be taking practical steps in living like members of the family of God that we are.
As we are celebrating the Feast of Holy Family today my dear brothers and sisters please remember what St Paul saying to us through his letter to Colossians 3:12-21 “holy and beloved, Brothers and sisters, Put on, as God’s chosen ones, 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…”
May God Bless our Families!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
On this Feast of the Holy Family, when we hear of Jesus and his parents fleeing Herod’s threats, scripture scholar William Barclay offers us a fanciful tale that further brightens the season, calling our attention to the glittering, sparkling adornment of the Christmas trees that grace our homes:“When Joseph and Mary were on their way to Egypt, the story runs, as the evening came they were weary, and they sought refuge in a cave. It was very cold, so cold that the ground was white with hoar frost. A little spider saw the baby Jesus, and he wished so much that he could do something to keep him warm in the cold night. He decided to do the only thing he could and spin his web across the entrance to the cave, to make, as it were, a curtain there.
“Along the path came a detachment of Herod’s soldiers, seeking for children to kill to carry out Herod’s bloodthirsty order. When they came to the cave they were about to burst in to search it, but their captain noticed the spider’s web, covered with the white hoar frost and stretched right across the entrance to the cave. ‘Look,’ he said ‘at the spider’s web there. It is quite unbroken and there cannot possibly be anyone in the cave, for anyone entering would certainly have broken the web.’
“So the soldiers passed on, and left the holy family in peace, because a little spider had spun its web across the entrance to the cave. And that, so they say, is why to this day we put tinsel on our Christmas trees, for the glittering tinsel streamers stand for the spider’s web, white with the hoar frost, stretched across the entrance of the cave on the way to Egypt.” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. I, p. 35)
How appropriate, then, for the Church to invite us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday following Christmas. Even though God was the Father of Jesus, he wanted his divine son to experience the nurturance of a human family. So, in addition to Mary his Mother, he gave him Joseph as a human father to stand in his place. Thus God obviously considers human family life to be good and holy.
A little boy greets his father as he returns from work with a question: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?” The father is surprised and says: “Look, son, not even your mother knows. Don’t bother me now, I’m tired.” “But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour?” the boy insists. The father finally gives up and replies: “Twenty dollars.” “Okay, Daddy,” the boy continues, “Could you loan me ten dollars?” The father yells at him: “So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Now, go to sleep and don’t bother me anymore!” At night the father thinks over what he said and starts feeling guilty. Maybe his son needed to buy something. Finally, he goes to his son's room. “Are you asleep, son?” asks the father. “No, Daddy. Why?” replies the boy. “Here's the money you asked for earlier,” the father said. “Thanks, Daddy!” replies the boy and receives the money. Then he reaches under his pillow and brings out some more money. “Now I have enough! Now I have twenty dollars!” says the boy to his father, “Daddy, could you sell me one hour of your time?” Today’s gospel has a message for this man and for all of us, and the message is that we need to invest more of our time in our family life.
To lead a good family life please remember this motto: which goes this way: Joy at the Examples of Sacrifice and Unity for Salvation. The acronym is J-E-S-U-S (Joy at the Examples of Sacrifice and Unity for Salvation). To be successful in a family, one must learn to be like J-E-S-U-S or Jesus. From this holy family we get J-E-S-U-S. Joy—Examples—Sacrifices—Unity—Salvation
First, JOY of life. You remember my Christmas homily about Joy:Joy stands for Jesus first, Others next and You the last but not the least. There are EXAMPLES to emulate. There is Joseph, the righteous man of God who devoted his life for his family. He understood his stewardship role, that although Jesus was in his care, he always had to let him go for God. There is the mother Mary. She was attentive to God through the angelic call. She nurtured herself with God's word and followed her Son Jesus from the beginning to the end of his life. She stood at the foot of the Cross. Any member can be assured that Mary also stands by him, especially in moments of trials and tribulations. It is the example of the Holy Family that we can imitate. Third, the Holy Family is marked also by a spirit of SACRIFICE. At the appointed time, the family went to the Temple for sacrificial offerings (Lk 2:22-40). Then as they have to fulfill God's plan for them, they had to go through lots of sacrifices. But anything they did, it was holy or sacred before God. They offered their whole life to the Lord wherever they were, whenever and whatever they did. Fourth, the Holy Family was marked by UNITY of mind, heart and soul in God. Led by their Son Jesus, even Mary and Joseph were reminded that they have to be about the Father's business, (Lk 2:49). What unites the family should be the promotion of God's will in word and deed. It should also be the goal of every community, be it a parish, a family. Lastly, the objective in life is our eternal SALVATION. We may strive to be rich, healthy, well-educated and rightly connected. But all of these are meaningful only when they promote our final union with God in His kingdom. Otherwise, it is a vain and useless life.
To measure how much you are contributing into making your family a loving home ask yourself how much of the three A’s – Attention, Affection, and Appreciation – you are giving to each and every member of your family. We all need to give, as well as receive, the three A’s in order to love and feel loved. Next to the home, the church should be a family – an extended family – where we give and receive love. Take time today to look to your right or your left and notice a man, woman, teenager or child who could do with a little bit more of attention, affection and appreciation. Sure enough, our neighbor is found outside the home and the church, but if we can start being more loving in the home and the church we would be taking practical steps in living like members of the family of God that we are.
As we are celebrating the Feast of Holy Family today my dear brothers and sisters please remember what St Paul saying to us through his letter to Colossians 3:12-21 “holy and beloved, Brothers and sisters, Put on, as God’s chosen ones, 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…”
May God Bless our Families!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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