HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH, YEAR B. 27.12.2020.

Holy Family

Readings: Gen 15:1-6;21:1-3; Psalm 105; Hebrew 11:8.11-12.17-21 and Luke 2:22-40. 

NO FAMILY WITHOUT CHALLENGES!  

 

Traditionally, the first Sunday in the octave of Christmas, which apparently is the last Sunday of the year, we celebrate the Holy family of Nazareth, the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. God is born into a family and so, He calls us as family through the readings to re-examine the nature and structure of our families. The liturgy of today calls us to reflect on scriptural background of family and the family as the basis for civil society. God wants every family to know that He gives grace to every cross attached to it.

 

The family is the fundamental arch on which the structure of human society is raised; it is the nuclear unit of the society on which the whole structure of the society rest, when we destroy or weaken the family structure, we do the same to the society.  As basis for civil society, the family has the foundation of human relationship where virtues are raised, such as love, peace, kindness, gentleness among others, not vices. If not, how much sense of love and peace do we expect from herdsmen who grows up following cattle from one end of the bush to another? Man is the product of his environment and many of personality problems has their roots in family deficiency during childhood.

 

In the first reading, we see the family of Abram, Sarah and Isaac. The promise made by God to Abram was fulfilled in Isaac in their old age. When Abram thought all hope was lost, he said, “You have given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir.” At this point, God proved to him that He is God saying, “This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir… The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.” More blessings were given to this faithful servant Abram that his descendants will be like the stars of heaven, innumerous. Interestingly here is that Abram trusted in God and remains faithful, despite the challenge of childlessness. He never gave up on God and God did not give up on him. Similarly, the psalmist tells us, “The Lord remembers His covenant forever.”

 

In the second reading, the letter to the Hebrews emphasis the faith of Abraham that never wavered, “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith Sarah received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised… By faith, when Abraham was tested, offered up Isaac.” In his faith, we see his obedience and trust in the Lord. These necessary virtues keeps the Christian family outstanding in the civil society that may demand artificial fertilization, vice-a-vice surrogacy, which is contrary to the unity of marriage and the dignity of procreation of the human person in accordance with the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.

 

The Presentation

The Gospel of Luke chapter 2:22-40 presents to us the fourth of the five joyful mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the temple with two important figures: Simeon and Anna. Luke presents to us some information of Jesus’ childhood. He gave a theological information of this that: Jesus Christ was born a Jew among Jews; He came under the Law of Moses and although, fulfilling the Law in honouring his father and mother (Lk 2:51). However, His ultimate obedience was to His heavenly Father, when he said to His parents, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? (Lk 2:49).

 

Furthermore, the presentation is motivated by specific requirements of the Law of Moses. According to Leviticus 12, it speaks of purification of woman after childbirth, that after childbirth, a woman is impure and need sacrifices in the temple for purification. These ceremonies were necessary as a reminder that we are all born in sin (Psalm 51:5). Christ and Mary could have been excused because they were sinless. Yet, we see in Christ even as a baby, identifying with sinners, as He also later did at baptism and on the cross.

 

Since, the Law tells us that the first born male belong to the Lord, “Consecrate to me all the first born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine” (Ex. 13:2). In view of this, Luke alludes to the story of Samuel, when Hannah had no child, she prayed to God for a son and vowed to dedicate the son to the Lord (1Sam. 1:11). Mary in Luke Gospel take the role of Hannah while Jesus take the role of Samuel. Hence, Luke subtly utters the language of Exodus from the command to consecrate the firstborn to a declaration about Christ the holy one dedicated to the heavenly Father.

 

Like the faith and obedience of Abraham, the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph demonstrates Christ’s humility and obedience with respect to the fourth commandment. He who is God expresses humility and obedience to His parents Mary and Joseph. It was not all rosy for the holy family; they had their joys and sorrows. Their poverty cannot be overemphasize and the words of Simeon to Mary, that a sword will pieced through your soul expresses the challenges ahead of her and the family. However, we are challenged to emulate the holy family in all virtues and to make our families like theirs. In the words of the psalmist, we pray that the good Lord remembers and visit families seeking for the fruit of the womb. May the Lord do to these families as he has promised. May those we pray for experience a Divine visit like Sarah and Hannah, and may they carry their children in their hands in the year 2021 through Christ our Lord. Amen! Peace be with you!

 

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ