Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 27, 2020 - Sunday within the Octave of Christmas: The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph - ABC
[Gen. 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Heb. 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Luke 2:22-40]When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. [Luke]
The Sunday within the Octave of Christmas is traditionally celebrated as the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Jesus may have been an "only Child" but he was a member of a vast network of relationships - family, clan and tribe. This network could be a matter of life and death under certain circumstances and the "honor" of the network could determine certain social behavior. Everyday life in Jesus' time could be very difficult since most of the people were poor subsistence farmers or fishermen. Joseph's livelihood would have depended secondarily on harvest or catch!
In celebrating the feast of the Holy Family, the church points to the importance of family. This does not mean that Jesus' family was like something out of "The Little House on the Prairie" TV program. Jesus' made it clear that blood relationship to him did NOT mean any special privileges in his "kingdom." At one point "his mother and his brothers" set out to seize him because they thought he had lost his mind by attracting crowds and antagonizing the Jewish authorities. [Mark 3:20-21, 31-34].
The strength of a family depends on the strength of love and forgiveness, two very important elements in Jesus' teaching. A strong family is a family of disciples. This is an everyday, lifelong challenge. The rewards, however, are as great as the challenges. This feast reminds us to meet those challenges with determination, love and forgiveness! AMEN