The Word of God Makes Families Holy

                  
       Readings for December 29, 2013

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Reading 1 -  BIN SirAK 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. This is the Word of  The Lord.

1 QARI -  BIN SirAK 3:2-6, 12-14

 Il-Mulej għolla l-missier fuq it-tfal, u saħħaħ dritt l-omm fuq l-ulied.  Min jibża' minn missieru jagħmel tajjeb għal dnubietu,  u min iweġġaħ lil ommu qisu qed jiġma' f'teżor.   Min jibża' minn missieru jifraħ b'uliedu, u meta jitlob jinstama'.  Min iweġġaħ 'il missieru jkollu għomor twil, u min iserraħ lil ommu jkun qed jisma' mill- Mulej. Ibni, ieqaf ma' missierek fi xjuħitu, u matul ħajtu tweġġagħlux qalbu.  Ukoll jekk moħħu jeħfief, għadru, u tonqsux mill-ġieħ meta għadek b'saħħtek,   għax il-ħniena ma' missierek ma tintesiex, imma tingħaddlek bi ħlas għal dnubietek.  Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm  -  Psalm 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.

SALM RESPONSORJALI – Salm 1-2, 3, 4-5    - Għanja tat-Telgħat.

R/ Hieni kull min jibża' mill-Mulej,

Hieni kull min jibża' mill-Mulej, kull min jimxi fit-triqat tiegħu!

Mix-xogħol ta' idejk inti tiekol; hieni int, u riżqek tajjeb!                      R/

Martek tkun bħal dielja għammiela fl-irkejjen ta' darek;

uliedek bħal xitel taż- żebbuġ madwar il-mejda tiegħek.                    R/

Ara, kif ikun imbierek il-bniedem li jibża' mill-Mulej!

 Ibierkek il-Mulej minn Sijon!

Jalla tara l-ġid ta' Ġerusalemm tul ħajtek kollha!                                      R/

Reading 2 - Colossians 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.  This is the Word of  The Lord.

2 qari - kolossin 3:12-21

Intom il-magħżulin ta' Alla, il-qaddisin u l-maħbubin tiegħu. Ilbsu mela sentimenti ta' hniena, tjieba, umiltà, ħlewwa u sabar.   Stabru b'xulxin, u, jekk xi ħadd minnkom ikollu xi jgħid ma' ħaddieħor, aħfru lil xulxin; bħalma l-Mulej ħafer lilkom, hekk agħmlu intom ukoll.  U fuq kollox ilbsu l-imħabba, li hi l-qofol tal-perfezzjoni.  Ħalli s-sliem ta' Kristu jsaltan fi qlubkom, dak is-sliem li għalih kontu msejjħa biex  issiru ġisem wieħed. U ta' dan roddu ħajr lil Alla.  Ħalli l-kelma ta' Kristu tgħammar sħiħa fikom; għallmu bl-għerf kollu u widdbu lil xulxin b'salmi u innijiet u b'għana spiritwali, u b'radd il-ħajr kantaw f'qalbkom innijiet lil Alla.   Kull ma tagħmlu jew tgħidu, agħmlu kollox f'isem il-Mulej Ġesù, u roddu ħajr lil Alla  l-Missier permezz tiegħu. Il-ħajja fil-familja nisranija Intom, nisa miżżewwġa, obdu lil żwieġkom, kif għandu jkun fil-Mulej. ] Intom imbagħad, irġiel miżżewwġa, ħobbu n-nisa tagħkom, u tkunux iebsa magħhom.   Intom, tfal, isimgħu mill-ġenituri tagħkom f'kollox, għax dan hu li jogħġob lill-Mulej.  Intom, missirijiet, la ddejjqux lil uliedkom, għax inkella jistgħu jaqtgħu qalbhom.  Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel -  Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,  and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”  Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night  and departed for Egypt.  He stayed there until the death of Herod,  that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,  Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,  for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother,  and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea  in place of his father Herod,  he was afraid to go back  there.  And because he had been warned in a dream,  he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled,  He shall be called a Nazorean.  This is the Word of  The Lord.  

VANGELU -  Mattew 2:13-15, 19-23

Meta telqu l-Magi, deher anglu tal-Mulej f’holma lil Guzeppi u qallu: “Qum,  hu mieghek lit-tifel u ‘l ommu, u ahrab lejn l-Egittu. Ibqa’ hemm sa ma nghidlek jien, ghax Erodi se jtiffex lit-tifel biex joqtlu.”  Ġużeppi qam, ħa miegħu lit-tifel u 'l ommu billejl u telaq lejn l-Eġittu, u baqa' hemmhekk sal-mewt ta' Erodi, biex hekk iseħħ dak li kien qal il-Mulej permezz tal-profeta, meta qal, 'Mil- Egttu sejjaht lill ibni’. Meta miet Erodi, deher l-anġlu tal-Mulej f'ħolma lil Ġużeppi fl-Eġittu u qallu: "Qum, ħu miegħek lit-tifel u 'l ommu, u erġa' lura lejn l-art ta' Iżrael, għax  mietu dawk li kienu jfittxu l-ħajja tat-tifel."  Ġużeppi qam, ħa miegħu lit-tifel u 'l ommu, u mar fl-art ta' Iżrael.    Imma billi sama' li fil-Lhudija kien qiegħed isaltan Arkelaws flok Erodi missieru, baża' jmur hemm. Fuq twissija li kellu fil-ħolm, telaq lejn l-inħawi tal-Galilija,  u mar joqgħod f'belt jisimha Nazaret, biex hekk iseħħ dak li kien ingħad permezz   tal-profeti, ‘Ikun jissejjaħ Nazri.  Kelma tal-Mulej.

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 The Word of God Makes Families Holy —

A Biblical Reflection for the Feast of the Holy Family, Year A – by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB,  CEO Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

Today’s readings for the Feast of the Holy Family take up the tension between rights and obligations.  Our Scripture texts maintain that obligations have primacy over rights.  Hence the truly human, genuinely Christian priority is not so much what others can do for me but rather what I can do for others. Preoccupation with self must be set aside as we cast ourselves in the role of servant rather than served.  Serving and selflessness are at the core of authentic family life. 

Ben Sira, the early second-century B.C. author of today’s first reading from Sirach [3:2-6,12-14], offers a brief but invaluable commentary on the fourth commandment: “Honour your father and your mother.” The author describes the earthly rewards that belong to those who revere their parents. Even to old and infirm parents this respect is due; through it, the sins of children are pardoned. Failure to render respect is blasphemy and merits a curse from God [3:16].

Life in the Christian Home  -   The second reading from Colossians [3:12-21], deals with the Christian life as it is to be lived in the Christian home.  The characteristics of the believing family are mutual forgiveness, love, peace, and gratitude modelled on the self-giving of Christ.

In both today’s Gospel for Holy Family Sunday [Mt 2:13-15,19-23] and next Sunday’s Gospel for the Feast of the Epiphany [2:1-12], we realize once again that far from being a children’s tale, Matthew’s Infancy narrative of Jesus is a tragic adult story.  A child is born at the same time as a death-dealing power rules.  King Herod tries to co-opt the wise men to betray their journey, to end their commitment to future possibility and new life.  At the centre of the whole story of striking contrasts lies a baby who is joy.  Herod is afraid of this “great joy for all the people.”

Matthew [in 2:13-15,19-23] shows the family of Jesus to be clearly rooted in fidelity to God’s Word.  Joseph accepts the command to leave Israel and then return again at a later date. Joseph places the accent on obligations first. Jesus must be the cohesive centre of family life.  The Holy Family is a wonderful example for us of the dignity and beauty of human and family life- it is here, in the house of Nazareth that Jesus learned how to reach out to the poor, lonely and defenceless.  It was at Nazareth that something beautiful was transmitted from Mary and Joseph to their Son, Jesus.

Joseph, the righteous man

On this Sunday dedicated to families, let us reflect on the silent witness of St. Joseph in the Christmas stories.  Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus, whose Father is God alone, and yet he lives his fatherhood fully and completely.  He is often overshadowed by the glory of Christ and the purity of Mary. But he, too, waited for God to speak to him and then responded with obedience. Luke and Matthew both mark Joseph’s descent from David, the greatest king of Israel [Mt 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38]. Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge about him: he was “a righteous man” [Mt 1:18].

Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been engaged, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. Joseph was also a man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome.  When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt until the angel told him it was safe to go back [Mt 2:13-23].

Joseph’s fatherhood    -      Joseph revealed in his humanity the unique role of fathers to proclaim God’s truth by word and deed. His paradoxical situation of “foster father to Jesus” draws attention to the truth about fatherhood, which is more than a mere fact of biological generation. A man is a father most when he invests himself in the spiritual and moral formation of his children. He was keenly aware, as every father should be, that he served as the representative of God the Father.

As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has taught us:    What is important is not to be a useless servant, but rather a “faithful and wise servant”. The pairing of the two adjectives is not by chance. It suggests that understanding without fidelity, and fidelity without wisdom, are insufficient. One quality alone, without the other, would not enable us to assume fully the responsibility which God entrusts to us.

In Joseph, faith is not separated from action. His faith had a decisive effect on his actions. Paradoxically, it was by acting, by carrying out his responsibilities, that he stepped aside and left God free to act, placing no obstacles in his way. Joseph is a “just man” [Mt 1:19] because his existence is “adjusted” to the word of God.

Joseph, the “foster-father” of the Lord reveals that fatherhood is more than a mere fact of biological generation. A man is a father most when he invests himself in the spiritual and moral formation of his children.  Real fathers and real men are those who communicate paternal strength and compassion.  They are men of reason in the midst of conflicting passions; men of conviction who always remain open to genuine dialogue about differences; men who ask nothing of others that they wouldn’t risk or suffer themselves.  Joseph is a chaste, faithful, hardworking, simple and just man.  He reminds us that a family, a home, a community, and a parish are not built on power and possessions but goodness; not on riches and wealth, but on faith, fidelity, purity and mutual love.

May St. Joseph strengthen us and help us to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth, who listened attentively to God, acted upon his Word, treasured the gift of the Child Jesus, all the while modeling to us how the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.