This Sunday, December 29, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This feast always occurs on the Sunday between the Nativity of the Lord, December 25 and Mary, Mother of God, January 1. The Gospel chosen for this feast is not only revealing a certain dramatic event from Jesus’ childhood but also presents strong family relations between Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and underlines the role and value of the family.
The Church, from the very beginning of her existence, indicates that the union of man and woman that establishes family life is a sacred reality at the very foundation of the social order. Bonded in love and in obedience to the Lord of life, the family reflects the holiness of the Holy Family, centered on Jesus. By the grace of union with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, family life – with its challenges and its joys – becomes a path to holiness. Marriage and family life is a special vocation that God calls people to.
The story of Jesus lost in Jerusalem when he was 12 years old reminds us of stories from our own lives: stories of mothers and fathers who looked for their lost child during a trip, journey or shopping, or during natural disasters or war. We can easily understand the hearts of Mary and Joseph that were penetrated by suffering as they were looking for Jesus for three days. Mary expressed this pain in a delicate and clear way: “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” We can empathize this “great anxiety” of Mary and Joseph just as we can empathize the great anxiety of many mothers and fathers who lost their children in Gaza, in Ukraine, and in many other places of the world. Their tears are like unstoppable streams. We pray that these tears will dry out and that no other mothers and fathers will have to shed such tears.
Jesus and the entire Holy Family experienced a lot. Jesus was born in Bethlehem while on a forced journey during a census, and the Holy Family had to leave their native Nazareth. These are the same towns that were under occupation then and still are. Later, they had to escape to Egypt because Herod in a blind act of rage killed all small boys in Bethlehem hoping to eliminate the Newborn King. After a few years of living there, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth.
We can ask why God the Father didn’t provide the best of this world for his Only Begotten Son, like we try to provide the best for our children. Why did He allow Jesus to live in such material insecurity and experience such hardship and danger? Isn’t He the Almighty and Caring God? It is true that maybe Jesus did not have many things as our children have or even children in biblical times, but He had one thing that is priceless and crucial, a thing that is allowing a child proper growth: the love of a parent. It is because of this love that “Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man,” as we read in today’s Gospel. Mary’s and Joseph’s love of Jesus was authentic and abundant because they showed the same love to each other. Their virginal, spousal love was nourished by Jesus’ love for them. It was the love of their obedient son and the Son of God.
Looking only from a human perspective, all the hardships that the Holy Family faced did not weaken but cemented it, as may be the case in our family lives. They were going through problems and dangers, never doubting in God’s providence and fully trusting God’s leading. They recognized the amazing plan of God and followed it even though they did not know all the details. They meditated on the greatness of that plan and the mystery they were participating in.
Many of us can say that it was much easier for the Holy Family to live like this because God Himself was present in their home, in their family and He radiated His wisdom and grace to them. This is a fair argument. However, let’s look at this from a different perspective. If it worked in the Holy Family, why wouldn’t it work in our family? Why not invite God into our homes, marriages and families, too? May He live in our home as He lived with the Holy Family in Egypt and Nazareth. May he be present in our family life, in our decision making, our journeys and vacations, spending our time and money or raising our children. May He be with us in our sickness, in our sufferings, struggles, in our joys and family gatherings! Maybe we experience failures in our marriages and in our families exactly because He is not invited and not welcomed. Maybe we are willing to acknowledge that He is the Creator and Savior, and we worship Him occasionally or even frequently in church. But in reality, we think that God should stay only there, in the church building since after all, it is His home. As a result of such an attitude, our home is immune to His presence.
Today’s feast of the Holy Family encourages us to invite Jesus into our home and into our life. May He influence our thoughts and actions and inspire us to an authentic love — which is the most important thing that we really need for our marriage and family to grow and bloom. And may Mary and Joseph assist us in imitating their Holy Family.
Fr. Mark Jurzyk