Gospel & Reflection for the Feast of the Holy Family.
Luke 2:41-52
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.
Reflection
Friends, of our four Gospels, only two, Matthew and Luke, contain what we call the ‘Infancy Narratives’ of Christ – that is the accounts surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus. What is difficult for us to grasp now is just how explosive, subversive even, these infancy narratives were when they were first written?
The superpower of the world was the Roman Empire, and were you to ask anyone, anywhere, within that empire just who it was that was divinely conceived, who was son of god, and the bringer of peace and good news – the answer automatically given by people would have been Caesar Augustus – the Roman Emperor. Roman mythology claimed that Augustus had been conceived by the god Apollo with his mother Atia. His many titles then, some self-given included ‘son of god,’ ‘saviour,’ ‘lord,’ ‘bringer of peace/good news’ and these titles were found on coins and monuments, minted, and built in his honour.
So, the Gospels were subversive in their time because they challenged this dominant political narrative; they challenged the might and delusions of Caesar himself. They were saying that it was not Caesar but Jesus Christ who was divinely conceived; Jesus who was the real Son of God, Saviour, Lord, and who was the true bringer of Good News and peace! This was just one of reasons why the Romans persecuted Christians so cruelly.
Well, in celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family, which is part of the infancy narrative, we are celebrating a family that are as controversial now more than ever, within a world where the make-up and understanding of ‘family’ is changing daily. There was a time when we spoke of the ‘traditional family,’ and we understood what that meant. These days, our notion of family is vastly different. Society now acknowledges and labels many different types of families but just what modern society understands as ‘Family’ can be difficult to grasp.
One thing that we can say is despite the makeup of our own or any family, we all instinctively know where we belong. For most of us, we know the family that we come from, and we are proud of them. Even if people do not know, they can still acknowledge some family that they became part of. But for many, the presentation of a ‘Holy Family’ is no longer relevant, insulting even. I strongly disagree though.
I disagree because the only insult to families nowadays are the labels and descriptions that many are happy to accept to describe their particular situation. In our families, regardless of the divisions that there sometimes are, the upsets, the problems, or issues which our families might have, we are still family, and as family, we are all called to love and be loyal. Most families do just that. We might fight, argue and fall-out, but mostly we circle the wagons should anything happen and back each other up as best as we can. That is family.
If there was ever a family that circled the wagons, that were there for each other through thick and thin, it was the Holy Family.
The Holy Family are relevant for every family because like all families they were real. They were not some exaggerated, milk of magnesia family. Their love, their problems, their struggles were real. They had much to contend with – an unexpected pregnancy; a marriage that was nearly ended as a result; homelessness, asylum in Egypt, and they remained refugees for many years before finally having some normality for a few years in Nazareth. Yet even tougher times lay ahead for them.
The Holy Family identifies and speaks with every family in some way. They went through it all but through everything, they loved each other, and they trusted that God was with them. They are relevant for us all.
My friends, for the coming year, may God bless all your families; may you enjoy peace and health and for any difficulties which may come your way, may the intercession of the Holy Family give you the grace, the strength, and the love, to cope.
Fr. Richard