Feast of the Holy Family

Gen 15:1-6; 21:1-3, Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19, Luke 2:22-40

 

Dear sisters and brothers,

God calls us as family.  We begin our life in family.  We form families, either biological or in other ways. This basic relationship of the biological family with mother, father and children is given to us throughout our Scriptures and is the basic of civil society.

Today this relationship of family is being challenged on all sides and the divine rate is high and many people spend their life in multiple relationships without every marrying. Our civil society is losing entirely the meaning of family as we find it in Sacred Scripture.

We must not be distracted!  Instead, we are challenged to continue to encourage the basic reality of a family with mother, father and children.  We are invited to encourage marriage between a man and a woman—but always as a sacrament, a sacred bond lived out in Jesus Christ and in His Church.

First reading stresses the giftedness of Isaac. In Old Testament times childlessness was seen as a curse. But Christians no longer so regard it. Though childlessness is a cause of great sadness, it must not be seen as a punishment from God.

Abraham was sad and worried because he had no heir. But God promised him an heir, and, through that heir, numerous descendants. In fact, through him all the nations of the world would receive a blessing, because it was from his descendants that Christ came.

Children truly are a blessing. What are the best inheritance parents can leave to their children? It is not money or material things. It is rather the experience of being loved. If this is missing, no amount of money will make up for it.

In our second reading it stresses the great faith of Abraham and Sarah. They put their trust in God and were not disappointed. Husbands and wives today need great faith. When a man and woman get married, they make a life-long commitment to one another. To be faithful to such a commitment is never easy. But it is easier for those who believe in God and who turn to him for help in time of need.

Happy are those couples who have faith in God, because God is totally reliable. And if the couple have children, they will also seek God’s guidance so as to bring them up rightly. They will also strive to pass their faith on their children, a faith that will be nourished by family prayer.

Gospel, the events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus marked him out as a special child with a unique destiny. He was the one through whom the promise of Abraham would be fulfilled. He would be the hope and comfort of Israel, and a light for the nations. But the Gospel also talks about rejection of Jesus, a rejection which would cause a sword of sorrow to pierce Mary’s heart.

People put a lot of effort and money into building a good house. And one can understand why. But perhaps there is a danger of neglecting the more important thing-building a home, that is, a small church or a little community of love.

The atmosphere in the home is far more important than the quality and quantity of the furnishings. The atmosphere is determined by the quality of the relationships.

Jesus too needed a home in which to grow up. Mary and Joseph provided that home for him in Nazareth. By their love for him and for one another, Mary and Joseph created the atmosphere in which he thrived. But the Holy Family didn’t have an easy life, as the Gospel shows us. During the early years they suffered the fate of homeless refugees.

The family is very fragile in our times. It is under many stresses and difficulties. Yet, in spite of everything, many parents make enormous sacrifices for their children. All such parents can draw inspiration from the example of Mary and Joseph.

Ideally home is the place to which we can always return, and sure of a welcome. It is a place we taste on earth the joy and peace of the place God has for us in heaven.

Peace and all good!

Fr. Valery Burusu

Parochial Administrator