Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 12-28-03, Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Reading I
1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28

In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up
with the rest of his household
to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,
Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,
"Once the child is weaned,
I will take him to appear before the LORD
and to remain there forever;
I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite."

Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
"Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD."
Hannah left Samuel there.

or

Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
--a house raised in justice to you.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10

R. (cf. 5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
Happy they who dwell in your house!
Continually they praise you.
Happy the men whose strength you are!
Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer;
hearken, O God of Jacob!
O God, behold our shield,
and look upon the face of your anointed.
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

or

Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Reading II
1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
And so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit he gave us.

or

Col 3:12-21

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.

or

Col 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Gospel
Lk 2:41-52

Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
"Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
And he said to them,
"Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

From: 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24

We are Children of God

[1] See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called
children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know
us is that it did not know him. [2] Beloved, we are God's children now;
it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he
appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Loving One Another (Continuation)

[22] and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his
commandments and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his commandment,
that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one
another, just as he has commanded us. [24] All who keep his
commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he
abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

Commentary:

1-24. This entire chapter shows how moved the Apostle is when he
contemplates the marvelous gift of divine filiation. The Holy Spirit,
who is the author of all Sacred Scripture, has desired John to pass on
to us this unique revelation: we are children of God (v. 1).

It is not easy to divide the chapter into sections, because the style
is very cyclic and colloquial and includes many repetitions and further
thoughts which make for great vividness and freshness. However, we can
distinguish an opening proclamation of the central message (vv. 1-2)
and emphasis on two requirements of divine filiation--rejection of sin
in any shape or form (vv. 3-10), and brotherly love lived to the full
(vv. 11-24).

1. "We should be called children of God": the original Hebrew
expression, which reads "we are called...", is also used by our Lord in
the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:9): "to be called" means the same as "to be
called by God"; and in the language of the Bible, when God gives
someone a name he is not simply conferring a title but is causing the
thing that the name indicates (cf., e.g., Gen 17:5), for the word of
God is efficacious, it does what it says it will do. Hence St John's
adding: "and so we are".

Therefore, it is not just a matter of a metaphorical title, or a legal
fiction, or adoption human-style: divine filiation is an essential
feature of a Christian's life, a marvelous fact whereby God
gratuitously gives men a strictly supernatural dignity, an intimacy
with God whereby they are "domestici Dei", "members of the household of
God" (Eph 2:19). This explains the tone of amazement and joy with which
St John passes on this revelation.

This sense of divine filiation is one of the central points in the
spirituality of Opus Dei. Its founder wrote: "We do not exist in order
to pursue just any happiness. We have been called to penetrate the
intimacy of God's own life, to know and love God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and to love also--in that same love of
the one God in three divine Persons--the angels and all men.

"This is the great boldness of the Christian faith--to proclaim the
value and dignity of human nature and to affirm that we have been
created to obtain the dignity of children of God, through the grace
that raises us up to a supernatural level. An incredible boldness it
would be, were it not founded on the promise of salvation given us by
God the Father, confirmed by the blood of Christ, and reaffirmed and
made possible by the constant action of the Holy Spirit" ("Christ Is
Passing By", 133).

"The world does not know us, (because) it did not know him": these
words are reminiscent of our Lord's at the Last Supper: "the hour is
coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me"
(Jn 16:2-3). Divine filiation brings with it communion and a mysterious
identification between Christ and the Christian.

2. The indescribable gift of divine filiation, which the world does not
know (v. 1), is not fully experienced by Christians, because the seeds
of divine life which it contains will only reach their full growth in
eternal life, when we see him "as he is", "face to face" (1 Cor 13:12);
"this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent" (Jn 17:3). In that direct sight of God as
he is, and of all things in God, the life of grace and divine filiation
achieve their full growth. Man is not naturally able to see God face to
face; he needs to be enlightened by a special light, which is given the
technical theological name of "lumen gloriae", light of glory. This
does not allow him to "take in" all God (no created thing could do
that), but it does allow him to look at God directly.

Commenting on this verse, the "St Pius V Catechism" explains that
"beatitude consists of two things--that we shall behold God such as he
is in his own nature and substance; and that we ourselves shall become,
as it were, gods. For those who enjoy God while they retain their own
nature, assume a certain admirable and almost divine form, so as to
seem gods rather than men" (I, 13, 7).

"When he appears": two interpretations are possible, given that in
Greek the verb has no subject: "when (what we shall be) is revealed we
shall be as he is"; or, as the New Vulgate translates it, "when he
(Christ) is revealed we will be like him (Christ)". The second
interpretation is the more likely.

19-22. The Apostle reassures us: God knows everything; not only does he
know our sins and our frailties, he also knows our repentance and our
good desires, and he understands and forgives us (St Peter, on the Lake
of Tiberias, made the same confession to Jesus: "Lord, you know
everything, you know that I love you": Jn 21:17).

St John's teaching on divine mercy is very clear: if our conscience
tells us we have done wrong, we can seek forgiveness and strengthen our
hope in God; if our conscience does not accuse us, our confidence in
God is ardent and bold, like that of a child who has loving experience
of his Father's tenderness. The love of God is mightier than our sins,
Pope John Paul II reminds us: "When we realize that God's love for us

does not cease in the face of our sin or recoil before our offenses,
but becomes even more attentive and generous; when we realize that this
love went so far as to cause the Passion and Death of the Word made
flesh who consented to redeem us at the price of his own blood, then we
exclaim in gratitude: 'Yes, the Lord is rich in mercy', and even: 'The
Lord is mercy"' ("Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 22).

This confidence in God makes for confidence in prayer: "If you abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be
done for you" (Jn 15:7; cf. 14:13f; 16:23, 26-27).

23-24. The commandments of God are summed up here in terms of love
for Jesus and love for the brethren. "We cannot rightly love one
another unless we believe in Christ; nor can we truly believe in the
name of Jesus Christ without brotherly love" (St Bede, "In I Epist. S.
Ioannis, ad loc."). Faith and love cannot be separated (cf. Gal 5:6);
our Lord himself told us what would mark his disciples out--their love
for one another (Jn 13:34-35).

Keeping the commandments confirms to the Christian that he is abiding
in God: "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (Jn
15:10). Moreover, it ensures that God abides in his soul, by the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit: "If you love me you will keep my
commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor, to be with you for ever" (Jn 14:15-16).

"May God be your house and you God's; dwell in God that God may dwell
in you. God dwells in you to support you; you dwell in God in order not
to fall. Keep the commandments, have charity" ("In I Epist. S. loannis,
ad loc.").

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Luke 2:41-52

The Finding in the Temple

[41] Now his (Jesus') parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast
of the Passover. [42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up
according to custom; [43] and when the feast was ended, as they were
returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did
not know it, [44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a
day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and
acquaintances; [45] and when they did not find him, they returned to
Jerusalem, seeking him. [46] And after three days they found him in the
temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them
questions; [47] and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding
and his answers. [48] And when they saw him they were astonished; and
his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your
father and I have been looking for you anxiously." [49] And he said to
them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in
my Father's house?" [50] And they did not understand the saying which
he spoke to them.

The Hidden Life of Jesus at Nazareth

[51] And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient
to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

[52] And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and
man.

Commentary:

41. Only St Luke (2:41-50) reports the event of the Child Jesus being
lost and then found in the temple, which we contemplate in the "Fifth
Joyful Mystery" of the Rosary.

Only males aged twelve and upwards were required to make this journey.
Nazareth is about 100 km (60 miles) from Jerusalem as the crow flies,
but the hilly nature of the country would have made it a trip of 140
km.

43-44. On pilgrimages to Jerusalem, the Jews used to go in two
groups--one of men, the other of women. Children could go with either
group. This explains how they could go a day's journey before they
discovered the Child was missing when the families regrouped to camp.

"Mary is crying. In vain you and I have run from group to group, from
caravan to caravan. No one has seen him. Joseph, after fruitless
attempts to keep from crying, cries too.... And you.... And I.

'Being a common little fellow, I cry my eyes out and wail to heaven and
earth..., to make up for the times when I lost him through my own fault
and did not cry" ([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Fifth Joyful Mystery).

45. The concern which Mary and Joseph show in looking for the Child
should encourage us always to seek Jesus out, particularly if we lose
him through sin.

"Jesus, may I never lose you again.... Now you and I are united in
misfortune and grief, as were united in sin. And from the depths of our
being comes sighs of heartfelt sorrow and burning phrases which the pen
cannot and should not record" ("Holy Rosary", Fifth Joyful Mystery).

46-47. The Child Jesus must have been in the courtyard of the temple,
which was where the teachers usually taught. Listeners used to sit at
their feet, now and again asking questions and responding to them.
This was what Jesus did, but his questions and answers attracted the
teachers' attention, he was so wise and well-informed.

48. Ever since the Annunciation our Lady had known that the Child Jesus
was God. This faith was the basis of her generous fidelity throughout
her life--but there was no reason why it should include detailed
knowledge of all the sacrifices God would ask of her, nor of how Christ
would go about his mission of redemption: that was something she would
discover as time went by, contemplating her Son's life.

49. Christ's reply is a form of explanation. His words--his first words
to be recorded in the Gospel--clearly show his down Sonship; and they
also show his determination to fulfill the will of his Eternal Father.
"He does not upbraid them--Mary and Joseph--for searching for their
son, but he raises the eyes of their souls to appreciate what he owes
him whose Eternal Son he is" (St Bede, "In Lucae Evangelium Expositio,
in loc."). Jesus teaches us that over and above any human authority,
even that of our parents, there is the primary duty to do the will of
God. "And once we are consoled by the joy of finding Jesus--three days
he was gone!--debating with the teachers of Israel (Lk 2:46), you and I
shall be left deeply impressed by the duty to leave our home and family
to serve our heavenly Father" ([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Fifth Joyful
Mystery"). See note on Mt 10:34-37.

50. We must remember that Jesus knew in detail the whole course his
earthly life would take from his conception onwards (cf. note on Lk
2:52). This is shown by what he says in reply to his parents. Mary and
Joseph realized that his reply contained a deeper meaning which they
did not grasp. They grew to understand it as the life of their Child
unfolded. Mary's and Joseph's faith and their reverence towards the
Child led them not to ask any further questions but to reflect on
Jesus' words and behavior in this instance, as they had done so on
other occasions.

51. The Gospel sums up Jesus' life in Nazareth in just three words:
"erat subditus illis", he was obedient to them. "Jesus obeys, and he
obeys Joseph and Mary. God has come to the world to obey, and to obey
creatures. Admittedly they were very perfect creatures--Holy Mary, our
mother, greater than whom God alone; and that most chaste man Joseph.
But they are only creatures, and yet Jesus, who is God, obeyed them. We
have to love God so as to love his will and desire to respond to his
calls. They come to us through the duties of our ordinary life--duties
of state, profession, work, family, social life, our own and other
people's difficulties, friendship, eagerness to do what is right and
just" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 17).

Jesus lived like any other inhabitant of Nazareth, working at the same
trade as St Joseph and earning his living by the sweat of his brow.
"His hidden years are not without significance, nor were they simply a

preparation for the years which were to come after--those of his public
life. Since 1928 I have understood clearly that God wants our Lord's
whole life to be an example for Christians. I saw this with special
reference to his hidden life, the years he spent working side by side
with ordinary men. Our Lord wants many people to ratify their vocation
during years of quiet, unspectacular living. Obeying God's will always
means leaving our selfishness behind, but there is no reason why it
should entail cutting ourselves off from the normal life of ordinary
people who share the same status, work and social position with us.

"I dream--and the dream has come true--of multitudes of God's children,
sanctifying themselves as ordinary citizens, sharing the ambitions and
endeavors of their colleagues and friends. I want to shout to them
about this divine truth: If you are there in the middle of ordinary
life, it doesn't mean Christ has forgotten about you or hasn't called
you. He has invited you to stay among the activities and concerns of
the world. He wants you to know that your human vocation, your
profession, your talents, are not omitted from his divine plans. He has
sanctified them and made them a most acceptable offering to his Father"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 20).

52. As far as his human nature was concerned Jesus matured like anyone else.
His growth in wisdom should be seen as referring to experiential
knowledge--knowledge acquired by his mind from sense experience and general
experience of life. It can also be taken as referring to the external
expression of his wisdom; in this sense everything he did was done
perfectly, in keeping with whatever age he was at the time.

As man Jesus had three kinds of knowledge: 1. "The knowledge of the blessed"
(vision of the divine essence) by virtue of the hypostatic union (the union
of his human nature with his divine nature in the one person of the Word).
This knowledge did not allow of any increase. 2. "Infused knowledge", which
perfected his intellect and which meant that he knew everything, even hidden
things; thus he was able to read men's hearts. Here again his knowledge was
complete; it could not grow. 3. "Acquired knowledge": he acquired new
knowledge through sense experience and reflection; logically, this knowledge
increased as time went by.

As far as grace, in the strict sense of the word, was concerned, Jesus could
not grow. From the first instant of his conception he possessed grace in all
its fullness because he was true God by virtue of the hypostatic union. As
St Thomas explains: "The end of grace is the union of the rational creature
with God. But there can neither be nor be conceived a greater union of the
rational creature with God than that which is in the person of Christ [...].
Hence it is clear that the grace of Christ cannot be increased on the part
of grace. But neither can it be increased on the part of Christ, since
Christ as man was a true and full 'comprehensor' from the first instant of
his conception. Hence there could have been no increase of grace in him"
("Summa Theologiae", Ill, q.7, a.12).

However, we can speak of his growing in grace in the sense of the "effects"
of grace. In the last analysis, this matter is one of the mysteries of our
faith, which our minds cannot fully grasp. How small God would be if we were
able fully to fathom this mystery! That Christ should conceal his infinite
power and wisdom by becoming a Child teaches our pride a great lesson.

The Word Among Us

Sunday, December 28, 2003

Meditation
Colossians 3:12-21

What a strange incident the church asks us to reflect on for the Feast of the Holy Family! In Luke’s account of the finding of Jesus in the Temple, we see the Holy Family—the model for all human families—dealing with confusion and miscommunication—to the point that the couple’s only child is lost for three whole days! So what makes Jesus, Mary, and Joseph such shining examples of how we are called to live? The answer lies in the way they responded to the crisis they faced.

When Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus was missing, they didn’t waste any time arguing about which of them was to blame for losing him. Rather, they united in a prolonged and painstaking search for their lost son. And even when they found their adolescent boy safe but unapologetic, they didn’t erupt in anger or try to heap accusations and guilt upon him just to make him feel bad for putting them through such an ordeal. Surely they were anguished, but they did not focus all their upset feelings on him. Evidently, a dozen years sharing the same roof with Jesus had taught them to trust, even when they didn’t fully understand.

Even well-intentioned and loving families face misunderstandings, hardships, and tragedies at times. It’s at times like these that we can especially remember the Holy Family and draw from their example. No matter how “holy” we feel, every family can learn to weather the storms of life by placing their needs before their heavenly Father and believing that he will never let them out of his hands.

Jesus seemed very far away during Mary and Joseph’s three-day ordeal. But all the time, he was waiting for them in his Father’s house. There will be times when our own children, spouses, or parents may seem far from us, too. But as members of God’s family, sooner or later we can expect to find each other in our Father’s house. In the meantime, let’s consecrate our families to Jesus and ask him to teach us how to live in the same faith and trust that Mary and Joseph knew.

“Heavenly Father, throughout their lives together, you blessed Mary and Joseph for their love and compassion. Let your Holy Spirit unite the members of our families as well.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Sunday, December 28, 2003 >>

Holy Family

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Colossians 3:12-21

Psalm 128
Luke 2:41-52

View Readings

BEING HOLY EVEN IN AN UNHOLY FAMILY

“Jesus, for His part, progressed steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and man.” —Luke 2:52

The Christmas season is a time for us to grow in holiness. Family life is a prime place for growing in holiness. Thus, on the first Sunday of Christmas, we celebrate the holy family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Because family life is so important in God’s plan for holiness, it is a battleground. Satan tries to rob us of the graces of holiness by trying to make family life very difficult. How many parents have sorrowfully asked their children: “Why have you done this to us?” (Lk 2:48) Often our greatest hurts are inflicted on us from the members of our families.

How can the family be a school of holiness even when relationships are strained, and hearts broken? Family members must “forgive whatever grievances [they] have against one another” (Col 3:13). Forgiveness changes a bad situation into a place of love and mercy because the family that forgives one another can pray together (Mk 11:25) and thereby can stay together. The Lord will work together all things for the good — even bad things (see Rm 8:28) — for married couples who pray together themselves and then lead their families in prayer. Even the worst families can be places of holiness for those who accept the miracle of forgiveness so as to pray for other miracles, especially the miracle of holiness. Be a forgiving, praying, holy family.

Prayer: Father, may holy families make the Church holy and prepare us for Your Son’s final coming.

Promise: “Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another.” —Col 3:12-13

Praise: Praise Jesus, holy and risen Lord! “Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and praise; give to the Lord the glory due His name!” (Ps 96:8)

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	If You Want a Healthy Family, Stay Connected to Him
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Sunday, December 28, 2003

Lk 2:41-52

A mother of four small children was trying to get everything ready for a major family gathering on Christmas Eve. As the hour drew near, she was barking orders like a drill sergeant: "Pick up your things! Don't get your clothes dirty! Put your toys away! No, you can't have any more!" And so on.

The four-year-old was underfoot, so she was sent to the living room to play with the Nativity set. Before long, she was having a make-believe conversation with the three kings, and this is what her mother overheard, "I don't care who you are; get those camels out of my living room!"

Being family is what we all want. But sometimes, it can be very hard work. The Holy Family was no exception:
- Their family began with a pregnancy of suspicious origins.
- Joseph seriously considered divorce.
- They had to flee the country with the authorities in hot pursuit.
- Their only child, Jesus, was like no other kid in town, and His parents were confused about how to handle Him.
- That only got worse when Joseph died, leaving Mary as a single parent with a precocious teenager.
- When Jesus at last began His public ministry, His extended family thought He was crazy and tried to force Him to come home.

Being family, making family, was hard work for Mary, Joseph and Jesus — just as for us. And they knew they couldn't do it alone. Their only hope was to stay connected to the Father. And that's what we find them doing in Sunday's gospel: Investing serious time in traveling to the temple to renew their connection to the Father and to draw from Him the wisdom and understanding, compassion and strength to be for one another what was needed.

The gospel says Jesus progressed steadily in wisdom, age and grace. That didn't just happen. It was the result of Joseph, Mary and Jesus working together with God as their partner. Did they know exactly where they were going at every moment? No! Most of the time, they didn't know for sure where life was taking them till they got there — just like us.

All they had at any given moment, and all they needed, was to know the next step — just one, not three or thirty — and then the courage to take that step. They were able to do that because they were thoroughly and deeply connected to the Lord. In Him they found their way; in Him they found their strength. Step by step they made their journey toward wholeness. And in the end they found their way home to God.

The road they walked is the same one we travel. Will we find our way to wholeness as they did? Will we too find our way home? It all depends on the strength of our connection to the Lord. He knows the way. And he's been waiting to show us! So...

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