If you ask the average person what is most important in their life, many would answer "family". So what sort of family member does God want us to be? What does the Bible teach us about living happily with our families? This week's Gospel reminds us that Jesus lived with normal parents who were just as human as us. God wants to teach us what a real family is. There is commentary following the first reading and the Gospel. There is a real life story at the end.
Reading 1
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.
The message here is quite simple- that we should honor our parents. But why should we honor them? First of all we are commanded by God to do so. If we honor our parents, the act itself is a way to imitate God. After all, Jesus loves the Father. We can see in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus' humanity feared death yet his love for God the Father took precedence.3 Jesus was scared of Death, but the Father's will was/is more important than any concern Jesus had. We can also see that God the Father loves Jesus at Jesus' baptism when GOd's voice could be heard saying "this is my BELOVED son". In other words, God the Father said, "I love Jesus." Our love of our parents is a reflection of the Father's love for Jesus and Jesus' love for the Father. We imitate God and his love when we honor our parents. This brings us joy.
This love of our divine father is the basis of God's command to love our parents. Why should we love them anyway? No matter how many bad things our parents may have done to us, we owe our lives to them. Didn't mom and dad sacrifice financially to support us? Didn't they suffer through long nights of crying and changing our diapers? What can we possibly do to repay our parents for giving us life in all of its beauty and challenges? We can start by loving them. In doing so, we please God and get a little glimpse of God's enormous love.
Reading II
Col 3:12-21 or 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.
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.
No commentary.
Gospel
Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
They took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
—and you yourself a sword will pierce—
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
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.
Joseph and Mary- Real People, Real Parents
Let's remember what happened before this visit to the temple. Mary had seen an angel and conceived the child who the angel called "great", "Son of the Most High" and that the child would "rule". Joseph had a similar message sent from God to him. In the dream, the angel said that Jesus would "save his people from their sins". As a Jew, Joseph knew that only God could forgive sins. He must have wondered "who is this child in Mary's womb who will save people from sins?" He may have understood better when the Magi arrived from Luke Chapter 2. Joseph and Mary put Jesus in a manger. When the Magi arrived, they prostrated themselves before the baby Jesus. Let's imagine for a moment what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph. There already saw great signs occurring before the birth of Jesus. Then Joseph and Mary watched as grown men laid face down in a display of tremendous respect for an infant boy in a feeding box. Oh holy night indeed!
The gospel reading reminds us that Mary and Joseph were required by the law to dedicate their child to God. They already knew Jesus was special and they had been told that Jesus was God.2 Now, Mary and Joseph could have thought to themselves "this is God's only Son. We don't need to go to the temple". They could have considered themselves "above the law". Instead, they acted in obedience and took Jesus to the temple because as it was written in this week's Gospel, it was "the law of the Lord".
This Gospel reading and the story of Jesus' conception and birth tells us much about the Holy Family. The Holy Family could not be called Holy without their obedience to God. Joseph wanted to divorce Mary until the angel told him not to. Joseph obeyed. Mary was "troubled" when she heard message of the angel Gabriel, yet she gave her complete consent in perfect obedience. If it was "possible", Jesus wanted the cup of his passion to pass from him yet he was obedient to the will of the Father.3 At the center of the Holy Family was obedience to God. We are meant to imitate the Holy Family and we are meant to be obedient to God and have him and his holy will at the center of our lives. The reason why God entered the world in the midst of a family is that he once again wanted to help teach us to live by his own perfect example. He did this out of love and generosity to us.
Real Life
The 2nd Reading speaks of love within the family and of gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. The Catechism tells us specifically that "everyone should be generous and tireless in forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect." Our faith demands obedience to this command from God.
For all of my life. I did not get along with one of my brothers. In fact, I didn't like him. When he walked into the room, all I could see was the person who "offended and quarelled" with me. Instead of forgiving him, I would always fight back. Sometimes, I hated my brother. I later went on a 2-week long mission to Mexico. There I witnessed the beautiful love of God. When I returned, I was completely full of the love that I saw and experienced in Mexico.
I did not normally meet up with my brother alone. In fact, I normally preferred not to meet him at all. But after the mission trip, things were different. I was eating lunch at my brother's house one day, and suddenly it dawned on me. "I am here eating lunch with my brother and I am enjoying myself. I am happy to be here."
Once I became obedient to God's will to love my brother and forgive him, my brother became a whole other person to me. I could finally see the nice brother I had all along as God opened my eyes and heart through his loving commandments. Not long afterwards, my brother was literally sending me cookies in the mail and buying me plane tickets to meet him and my family. With God closer to the center of our lives, we (my family) have started on the road to being a holy family.
God loves us!
1-Matthew 1:21
2- Jesus was called "Son of the Most High" to Mary. Luke chapter 2 tells us that the "shepherds" told Joseph and Mary that Jesus was "Messiah and Lord".
3- CCC 612 say that Jesus' human nature was horrified at death
Responsorial Psalm
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.
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