Feast of the Holy Family - C 2024

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family today, we shift our attention from Bethlehem to Nazareth.  At Christmas we celebrate the fact that God has become man.  But as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, we also celebrate and call to mind the context and manner in which He became man.  He chose to be born as a helpless baby.  He chose to have a mother and a father.  And it’s no accident that He chose to be born into a family.  He wanted to be born and to grow up in a human family.  Furthermore, instead of becoming man and immediately beginning His ministry, God chose to remain hidden in the Holy Family for thirty years.  We have a glimpse of His childhood in the episode of His parents losing Him in the temple, but other than that we know very little about His childhood.  And yet God considered these thirty years of family life to be necessary before Jesus should begin His ministry.  By these thirty hidden years of participation in a family, our Lord was highlighting for us the importance of the family and family life.

Jesus was introduced to the Jewish religion by His parents.  They taught Him about the various Jewish customs and laws.  They taught Him Scripture and how to pray.  Now, of course He was always fully God and so by His divine mind He always knew that He was fully God and knew everything.  Yet, He also had a human intellect that had to be taught and formed.  And His parents, Mary and Joseph, fulfilled this role.  They took Jesus to the synagogue and introduced Him to their religious community.  They took Him on pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem.  All of this teaching, all of these experiences shared formed the Jesus about whom we read in all of the Gospels.

Because Jesus was the Son of God, He had an intimate and unceasing union with His Father.  He knew who He was, that He was God and the beloved Son of the Father.  And yet from His parents He learned to love the temple, to love Jewish culture with all of its customs and institutions.  And so we could say that Jesus’ decision to stay in the temple was not just a result of His relationship with His heavenly Father but also the formation and education given to Him by Mary and Joseph.  Mary and Joseph cooperated and collaborated with God to teach and form Jesus.

The Holy family is the prototype, the model for all families.  Parents are called to imitate Mary and Joseph, collaborating with God to educate and form their children.  The family is a school of holiness where children are taught to love.  The family is foundational for God’s design and plan for humanity.  We are all created for relationship.  And it is through our families that we learn how to be in relationship.  Through relationships with their parents and siblings they are taught to love their neighbor.  Through the example and training of their parents they are taught to develop their faith and love God.

The Holy Family reminds us of these truths.  All of us are called to be holy, to be saints.  And this is meant to take place in the context of family life.  Development in holiness and sanctity often happens quietly, slowly, and hiddenly.  This all happens in the family.

For parents, this means embracing the sacred duty of forming their children in the faith—not only by teaching but by living it.  Children learn to love God when they see their parents praying.  They learn the importance of worship when their parents make Mass a high priority.  Children learn the value of humility when they hear those three important words:  I am sorry.  They learn mercy when they witness that apology accepted.  They learn to love through the thousands of sacrifices mom and dad make for them, big and small.  Children learn through the teaching of the parents by their words and examples.

The children also help the parents grow in holiness.  They give the parents opportunities to make sacrifices.  They give their parents opportunities to exercise the virtue of patience.  They give their parents opportunities to express love.  The children teach their parents how to be selfless and put to death the ego.

Nowadays the family is under attack as it faces innumerous threats.  Of course, this is because our spiritual enemy knows the importance of the family.  If he can conquer the family, he can conquer society.  This is why it’s crucial that families stand strong against these attacks.  If we want to see a healthier society and healthier culture, we must maintain the health and sanctity of our own families.

To all of you parents and grandparents, strive to imitate the Holy Family to the best of your abilities.  Make your family a school of love, a school of holiness.  Families striving to imitate the Holy Family – that is what our world needs.  That is what our Church needs.  And that is the mission to which you are called.