THE REAL POWER OF THE FAMILY UNIT

  Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph   Lectionary: 17

Il-Familja Mqaddsa ta’ Ġesù, Marija u Ġużeppi

Festa

Reading 1       1 SAMUEL 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. This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari I  -   mill-Ewwel Ktieb ta’ Samwel 1, 20-22.24-28

F’dak iż-żmien Anna tqalet, u meta wasal żmienha wildet iben u semmietu Samwel “għaliex – kif qalet hi – tlabtu lill-Mulej”. Elkana bil-familja kollha tala’ joffri s-sagrifiċċju ta’ kull sena lill-Mulej u jtemm il-wegħda tiegħu. Imma Anna ma telgħetx, għaliex qalet lil żewġha: “Meta nkun ftamt it-tifel, imbagħad nieħdu biex jidher quddiem il-Mulej, u jibqa’ hemm għal dejjem”. U meta fatmitu, Anna tellgħet ’il binha magħha fid-dar tal-Mulej f’Silo. Ħadet magħha gendus ta’ tliet snin, efa dqiq u żaqq inbid, u marret bit-tfajjel magħha. Hemm qatlu l-gendus, u ressqu t-tifel quddiem Għeli, u qaltlu: “Nitolbok, sidi; daqskemm int ħaj, sidi, jien dik il-mara li kienet wieqfa hawn ħdejk titlob lill-Mulej. Għal dan it-tifel kont tlabt, u l-Mulej laqa’ t-talba tiegħi, u tani li tlabtu. U issa jien se nagħtih lill-Mulej il-jiem kollha ta’ ħajtu, u kemm idum ħaj ikun tal-Mulej”. U qiemu lill-Mulej hemmhekk. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm  =  PSALM 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10.    

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.

Salm Responsorjali  -  Salm 83 (84), 2-3. 5-6. 9-10

                                                                      

R/. (5a): Henjin dawk li jgħammru f’darek, Mulej

Kemm hi għażiża d-dar tiegħek,

Mulej tal-eżerċti!

Tixxennaq u tinfena ruħi għat-tempju tal-Mulej;

ngħanni ferħan b’ruħi u ġismi lil Alla l-ħaj. R/.

Henjin dawk li jgħammru f’darek;

huma jfaħħruk għal dejjem.

Henjin dawk li jsibu fik il-qawwa tagħhom,

li għandhom għal qalbhom il-pellegrinaġġ għat-tempju. R/.

Mulej, Alla tal-eżerċti, isma’ talbi;

agħti widen, Alla ta’ Ġakobb.

Ħares, o Alla, lejn it-tarka tagħna,

ħares lejn is-sultan, il-midluk tiegħek. R/.

Reading 2     1 JOHN 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. This is the Word of the Lord. 

Qari II     -   mill-Ewwel Ittra ta’ San Ġwann 3, 1-2, 21-24

Għeżież, araw b’liema għożża ħabbna l-Missier; nistgħu nissejħu wlied Alla, u hekk aħna tassew! Għalhekk id-dinja ma tagħrafniex, għax ma għarfitx lilu. Għeżież, issa aħna wlied Alla, imma x’se nkunu ’l quddiem mhuwiex irrivelat lilna. Madankollu nafu li meta jidher hu, aħna nkunu bħalu, għax narawh kif inhu. Għeżież, jekk il-kuxjenza tagħna ma ċċanfarniex, aħna qalbna qawwija quddiem Alla, u kulma nitolbu naqilgħuh mingħandu, għax qegħdin inżommu l-kmandamenti tiegħu u nagħmlu dak li jogħġob lilu.  Dan hu l-kmandament tiegħu: li nemmnu fl-isem ta’ Ibnu Ġesù Kristu, u nħobbu ’l xulxin, kif wissiena hu. Min iżomm il-kmandamenti tiegħu jgħammar f’Alla u Alla fih. B’hekk nagħrfu li hu jgħammar fina: bl-Ispirtu li hu tana. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel   LUKE 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 favour before God and man. This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju   =   Qari skont San Luqa 2, 41-52

Ta’ kull sena l-ġenituri ta’ Ġesù kienu jmorru Ġerusalemm għall-festa tal-Għid. Meta kellu tnax-il sena telgħu wkoll, skont id-drawwa ta’ dik il-festa. Wara li għaddew dawk il-ġranet qabdu t-triq lura, imma t-tfajjel Ġesù baqa’ Ġerusalemm bla ma kienu jafu l-ġenituri tiegħu. Huma ħasbuh qiegħed ma’ xi wħud li kienu fit-triq magħhom; iżda meta wara jum mixi fittxewh fost qrabathom u n-nies li kienu jafuhom, ma sabuhx, u għalhekk reġgħu lura Ġerusalemm ifittxuh. Wara tlitt ijiem sabuh fit-tempju, bilqiegħda f’nofs l-għalliema, jismagħhom u jistaqsihom; u kull min semgħu baqa’ mistagħġeb bid-dehen u t-tweġibiet tiegħu. Kif rawh, instamtu, u ommu qaltlu: “Ibni, dan għaliex għamiltilna hekk? Ara, missierek u jiena konna qegħdin infittxuk b’qalbna maqsuma”. U hu qalilhom: “U għaliex kontu qegħdin tfittxuni? Ma tafux li jiena għandi nkun f’dak li hu ta’ Missieri?”. Iżda kliemu ma fehmuhx. Imbagħad niżel magħhom u raġa’ mar Nazaret; u kien jobdihom. U ommu kienet tgħożż f’qalbha dawn il-ħwejjeġ kollha. U hekk Ġesù baqa’ jikber fl-għerf, fis-snin u fil-grazzja, quddiem Alla u quddiem il-bnedmin. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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"The Future of Humanity Passes Through the Family"

 A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

In the afterglow of Christmas, the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family, inviting the faithful to reflect on the gift and mystery of life, and in particular the blessing of family.

Sunday’s Gospel story (Luke 2:41-52) relates an incident from Jesus’ youth that is unique in the New Testament. Luke’s infancy narrative, however scarce in details concerning the first part of Jesus’ life, mentions that “his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover” (2:41), an indication of their piety and of their fidelity to the law and to the tradition of Israel.

“When [Jesus] was 12 years old, they went up according to custom. When they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, without his parents knowing it” (2:42-43). After searching for three days, “they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (2:46).

Jesus’ mysterious words to his parents seem to subdue their joy at finding him: “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (2:49) The latter question can also be translated, “Did you not know that I must be immersed in my Father’s work?” In either case, Jesus refers to God as his Father. His divine Sonship, and his obedience to his heavenly Father’s will, take precedence over his ties to his family.

Apart from this event, the whole period of the infancy and youth of Jesus is passed over in silence in the Gospel. It is the period of his “hidden life,” summarized by Luke in two simple statements: Jesus “went down with [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51); and “He progressed steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men” (Luke 2:52). With this episode, the infancy narrative ends just as it began: in the setting of the Jerusalem Temple.

We learn from the Gospels that Jesus lived in his own family, in the house of Joseph, who took the place of a father in regard to Mary’s Son by assisting and protecting him, and gradually training him in his own trade of carpentry. Indeed, the people of the town of Nazareth regarded him as “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55), asking with surprise: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mark 6:3).

Besides his mother, they mentioned also his “brothers” and his “sisters,” who lived at Nazareth. It was they who, as the evangelist Mark mentions, sought to dissuade Jesus from his activity of teaching (Mark 3:21). Evidently, they did not find in him anything to justify the beginning of a public ministry. They thought that Jesus was just like any other Israelite and should remain such.

School of Nazareth

The words of Pope Paul VI spoken in Nazareth on January 5, 1964, are a beautiful reflection on the mystery of Nazareth and of the Holy Family. His words inspire all of us to imitate God’s family in their beautiful values of silence, family life, and work. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him. Here we can learn to realize who Christ really is.

First we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset, as we are, by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.

Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplifying its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings – in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute.

Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognize its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.

Challenges for today  

Today we are witnesses to a worrisome lack of educational environments inside and outside of the Church. The Christian family is no longer capable of singularly transmitting the faith to the next generation, and neither is the parish, even though it continues to be the indispensable structure for the Church’s pastoral mission in any given place.

As a Christian community and as a society in general, we must do more to encourage the committed relationship of man and woman that remains so basic to all civilizations and has proven to be the best support for the rights and needs of children. We must reflect carefully on the social consequences involved in the redefinition of marriage, examining all that is entailed if society no longer gives a privileged place and fundamental value to the lifelong union of a man and a woman in matrimony.

As the keystone of society, the family is the most favourable environment in which to welcome children. At the same time, freedom of conscience and religion need to be ensured, while also respecting the dignity of all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.

Two distinct challenges emerge from the great debates of our times surrounding marriage and family life. Sunday’s feast of the Holy Family issues an urgent invitation, especially to lay people, to uphold the dignity of the important institution and sacrament of marriage.

Parishes, dioceses, and lay movements that do not have creative pastoral strategies and vocational programmes about marriage for young people leave the door open to tremendous moral confusion and misunderstanding, misinformation, emptiness.

At the same time, we cannot forget that other bonds of love and interdependency, of commitment and mutual responsibility exist in society. They may be good; they may even be recognized in law. They are not the same as marriage: they are something else. No extension of terminology for legal purposes will change the observable reality that only the committed union of a man and a woman carries not only the bond of interdependency between the two adults but also the inherent capacity to bring forth children.

On this feast of the Holy Family, let us recommit ourselves to building up the human family, to strengthening and enshrining marriage, to blessing and nurturing children, and to making our homes, families, and parish communities holy, welcoming places for women and men of every race, language, orientation, and way of life.

Foundation of society 

“The future of humanity passes through the family,” as Saint John Paul II would say so often. Sunday’s readings remind us that the family has a vital impact on society.

Truly the foundation of society is the family. And the foundation of the family is marriage. The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman. The family is the most favourable environment in which children can be born and raised.

We need young adults to say “I do” with joy, conviction, faith, and hope. They are our future and our hope. Without married people, we cannot build the future of society and the Church. Without committed, married people, our world will not give rise to the holy families of today.