Readings:

Sir. 3:2-6, 12-14; Ps. 128; Col. 3:12-21; Lk. 2:41-52

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This Feast Day is celebrated on the Sunday that falls within the Octave of Christmas. The Christmas Octave is the eight days from Christmas Day to the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, on January 1st. The Nativity of our Blessed Lord is so important that we spend an entire week reflecting on the awesome significance of the Word made flesh. As St. John reminded us on Christmas Day, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1) As the Word was with God in the beginning, so too does the Incarnation of Jesus impart new beginnings. Everything has changed because the Lord chose to enter the world, to teach us, and show us the way to the Father. And the Christmas Octave gives us this extended opportunity to reflect on this awesome reality.

We also celebrate, in a special way, the beginning of a Jubilee Year of Hope. Pope Francis says, “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring” (SPES NON CONFUNDIT, 1). Bishop O’Connell will be celebrating Masses in the Cathedral and co-Cathedral of our diocese this weekend to mark this important occasion for the whole Church. The first recorded Jubilee was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in the year 1300. This practice was formalized by Pope Urban VI in 1389, who decreed that Jubilees would occur at regular intervals. Since then, the Church has observed a Jubilee Year every 25 years. Pope Francis desires that the Jubilee year be a time of personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd and the “Gate” of our salvation. To celebrate this occasion, our diocese is sponsoring several events throughout the year in the different counties. Please keep an eye on the bulletin for the schedule of events.

Today’s feast of the Holy Family takes us beyond the imagery of the Nativity to the dynamics of family life. Mary and Joseph, as the parents of our Blessed Lord, are the perfect role models for all parents. Mary, who spent most of her life in the Temple, knew well the value of prayer, which is why she was constantly giving praise to God, always reflecting upon things in her heart. It is no surprise that when the angel visited Mary, she had the proper disposition to respond by saying, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary models for us the disposition we should all have towards the Word of God.

Then there’s St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. His faith allowed him to accept several messages from the angel who visited him in his dreams. The first was to take Mary into his home and to raise Jesus as his own. Joseph was a descendant of King David, and it is from the line of Joseph that Jesus inherited the title Son of David. He was also warned to flee to avoid Herod’s wrath. And so, Joseph took his family to Egypt for seven years until it was safe to return. Joseph was a righteous man, a prayerful man, a resourceful man, a faithful man. He is everything a father ought to be.

And of course, the Holy Family is made complete by our Blessed Lord, Jesus. It was he who spoke the world into existence, he who created man and woman, who breathed the breath of life into them, and commanded them to live in harmony with God and one another. But, when, out of human weakness, we were dying in our sins, he went so far as to take upon himself our human nature so that he could restore it anew. And while we continue to deal with the effects of Original Sin, no one is beyond the love of God. For what Jesus did through his sacrifice on the Cross, he did for all mankind.

What about us? How might we respond to the example of the Holy Family? Mary and Joseph dedicated their lives to to raising Jesus, and providing him the security that only a family can provide. Joseph protected his family by fleeing to Egypt; Mary nurtured Jesus and showed him the value of obedience. Even when Jesus remained in the Temple, Mary and Joseph went after him. No matter what, they kept Jesus at the center of their lives. So, may we, then, no matter what our family structure is, keep Jesus at the center of it all. And as we receive the Eucharist today, as we receive Jesus himself, let us bring him back home, into the midst of our families, and let him transform us as brothers and sisters in Christ, sons and daughters of the Father.