Luke 2:41–52
Now every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
Commentary
The Church has appointed this Sunday within the octave of Christmas as the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. It is the wish of the Church that all Christian families to try to model their lives on the holiest of families that ever lived on earth. No family can ever hope to be as perfect as this one was, but every family must strive to imitate it if only from afar.
In Joseph, the father of the family has his model. Patiently and humbly he worked at his carpenter’s bench to provide the necessities of life for his wife and for the child Jesus. He could not always give them all he would wish for them but he did what he could gladly and humbly. To his neighbours he was just another carpenter, unknown to the world, of no importance in their eyes, yet his name will be known and revered until the end of time.
To many of you, if not most, who are fathers too, are living a life of obscurity, a life of monotonous toil and a daily struggle to provide bread for your family. You will never make the headlines in the news because what you are doing, but you are playing an important and an essential part in God’s plan for providing citizens for heaven.
If you carry out faithfully the task God has given you, if you provide for and protect the wife and family God has committed to your care you will make the headlines in the world to come, your names will be written in the Book of Life.
For mothers of families, in Mary you have the perfect example you should strive to follow. Mary was a faithful wife and an ideal and loving mother. How often she must have regretted that her beloved spouse had to struggle so hard to earn their meagre, daily bread. How great must have been her grief that she could not give her beloved Child more comforts in his infancy and youth. She had days of sorrow and anxiety, sorrow which culminated at the foot of the cross on Calvary. But she accepted it all as God’s will for the salvation of the world. You too have your days of anxiety and your years perhaps of worry – worries which will not end till you draw your last breath. But think of your model and turn to Mary for courage and for help. She can and will get you the strength to keep going o the hard road of motherhood.
Like Mary, you have a great task to perform for God. You have the eternal salvation of your family in your hands. Their future in this world and in the more important next world will depend largely on how you behave as mother of the family. Your greatest joy in heaven, after the beatific vision will be pleasing God and that you will be surrounded by your family which, aided by God’s grace, you did so much to bring there.
For children, your duty in the family is to love, honour and obey your parents. And your model is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, who though he was God, made himself subject to Joseph and Mary. He, who was God, has set you an example which you must follow. Your obedience will never be as perfect as his, but it can and should be as perfect as you can make it. Be a comfort and a consolation to your parents. Remember always what they have done for you in your infancy when you could not help yourself. Remember what they have done and are still doing for you in order to fit you to take your place in this life and in the next.
Show your thankfulness and appreciation by doing what they tell you. You may not see the reason for all their restrictions and all their commands but it is because they have your welfare at heart and because they truly love you even. It is only later in life that you will fully understand the true love they had for you and the great sacrifices they made for you so that you would be worthy of them and worthy of your heavenly father who gave you to them. Show your appreciation now while you have them.
Let us take in the scene of today’s gospel slowly. Let us savour it and allow the gospel scene to show more clearly the gradual process by which our families can grow into a sense of the Holy Family. Amen.