The Holy Family, Kristyn Brown n.d.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them;  and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.      Luke 2:51-52.

(Apologies for this late posting; I was visiting family in London and control of the website is a challenge from a distance. I will keep this posting up until Friday, then publish the reflection on next Sunday’s Epiphany on that day)

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The family can be considered to be the primal human society. It is there that we each begin, totally dependent on someone else, helpless and utterly vulnerable. We learn slowly and hesitantly how to manage our own bodies and begin to examine the world around us. The hope is, of course, is that this world is a world of unconditional love. That will become the solid foundation on which we will stand for the rest of our lives. And our perfect model is the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (or, as they would call themselves, Y’shua, Miriam and Yosef). In some respects it is my opinion that this is, in many ways, a reflection of the Holy Trinity itself, the burning source of all love and life. There is a father figure present and there is a child of God, and Mary is in some ways a representation of the Holy Spirit of God. Remember that in Hebrew and Aramaic, Jesus’ language, the words spirit and wisdom are feminine. John tells us that God is love (1 John 4:7-12), and so the holy family can be considered to be the essence of love in practice. It is our perfect model of family life and love. We all tend to be reflections of our parents for better or worse. If that reflection is founded in love, we are set for a very happy life; if not, then challenges await. But the Holy Family is a perfect model of love in action, even if the actual described events are scarce. Joseph is super protective, responding positively and immediately to the warnings concerning the threats to the life of the newborn by King Herod. And the child was not even his own! Mary accepted God’s will by accepting the miracle conception of her son, then showing her generosity and concern for Elizabeth her kinswoman. And Jesus in today’s gospel shows the earliest response and acceptance to God’s will for him. So here we have a model of what family life should be like. Considering the adult Jesus and the way he conducted his life, we may safely assume that his childhood gave him a solid grounding in compassion and acceptance which he showed under all conditions.

The other two readings seem to reflect on parents and their attitude to God and the children’s respect for their parents. Mutual support and understanding are called for with children taking care of parents even if their minds fail. “Kindness to a father will not be forgotten” Sirach says. “Heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” is encouraged between couples, which must also include forgiveness. And then of course, “put on love, that is, the bond of perfection”, according to Paul. So, adding all this together, we have a recipe for a happy, long-lived devoted family, each one looking out for the others. All of which is appropriate for a Sunday dedicated to the Holy Family. Each and every member of the family has obligations and expectations all grounded in God’s will. When all that is functional, then God’s will is obeyed and the result, according to today’s holy scripture, is the profoundest happiness any one of us can expect in this life. Indeed, it is a reflection of the eternal happiness of heaven. So when each of us finds that perfect other, and accepts the full consequences willingly, happily and with gratitude, and when the other gives themselves totally to us, then we may expect a happiness in this world that looks forward to a happiness which is eternal, beyond all imagining. The Holy Family went before us; and we follow in love and faith, and with the hope that we leave this world (and this year) a little bit better than we found it. Amen.

The Holy Family, Bohemian Beachcomber n.d.

a very happy and holy NEW YEar 2025 TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

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Reflections on next Sunday’s Mass Readings will be posted on FRIDAY.

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