Kapamilya

Holy Family Sunday 2007
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Psalm: 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17
Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Family
Each of us has come from a family - we have different family stories, different upbringings, we have unique childhood memories, each of us were nurtured by our own parents. What makes us common is that we all came from this basic unity of society called “family.” A family is a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children, who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and usually reside in the same dwelling place.

The celebration of Christmas five days ago, brought so many people to enjoy and celebrate the bonds of kinship and love of the family, especially with the littlest and newest family members. Some people may have lost the religious significance of Christmas, yet still people believe that Christmas' message brings the importance of family, unity, love and peace in family.

Today’s feast of the Holy Family remind us once again the true meaning of Christmas: that Jesus, our Saviour was born into a human family like us to be our Redeemer. Like us Jesus was nurtured and raise in a family:

A story is heard about a conversation between a new neighbour and a 7 year old boy living next door. “How many kids in your family? he asked.
“Eight” the child said.
“My, that many children must cost a lot of money,” said the neighbor.

“Oh, we don’t buy them. We raise them” replied the boy.

Jesus was raised from a holy family. What makes a family holy? It is the presence of God. What makes a family unholy? It is the absence of God. When God is absent, the vacuum is often filled up with materialism, greed, vices, unfaithfulness, neither of which gives true peace.

Mary, Joseph and Jesus model for us the life of the Holy Family.
Joseph is a model of a faithful and caring father. Joseph exhibited great trust in God and demonstrated intense devotion and love in caring for Mary and Jesus. Scripture does not quote a single word of Joseph, and yet his actions speak volumes of a strong man devoted to God and family.

Mary is a model of a very understanding, loving and religious mother. Mary showed tremendous faith in God and trusted in God's love for her. As wife, she helped Joseph in his quest for holiness. As mother, she cared for Jesus with great love and tenderness. Both Mary and Joseph created the environment which allowed Jesus to grow in wisdom and age and favor before God and other people.

Jesus is a model of obedient child. He was obedient to Mary and Joseph and obviously loved them both very much. And, out of great love for his Father and for us, he was obedient to all that God asked of him, including death on a cross.

Troubles in Family
The Holy Family however is not exempt from life threatening difficulties. Rather, it is in the midst of difficulty that their holiness is tested, deepened, and revealed as a faithful and obedient response to God.

We are shown by the Gospel that Mary and Joseph and child Jesus had more than their share of problems and crises. The Holy Family was on the run from the dangerous threat of Herod and had to flee to a foreign country.

Holiness versus Worldliness
Today, every human family is being chased down and slain by the Herods of modern culture. The family unity today is in peril as we are exposed to a constant battle between holiness and worldliness. For instance television has almost no shows that depict successful families. We see billboards on freeway advertisement promoting sex that undermine family values and respect to other people. Each day we read in the paper domestic violence, family breakups, teenage problems, etc.

What is the criterion of holiness?
Living in this situation how can we imitate the Holy Family? The first and second readings tell us what it means to be holy. The first reading provides a recipe, as it were, for a holy family: honoring, respecting, obeying one’s parents. St. Paul also provides a recipe for the family of the church: a community that is compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving.

We are family, let us live like family. We start by making our natural families into more loving homes. To measure how much you are contributing into making your family a loving home, we should remember three A’s – Attention, Affection, and Appreciation. How much Attention, Affection, and Appreciation you are giving to each and every member of your family?

Next to the home, our church community should be a family – an extended family – where we give and receive love and respect each other. Let us take time today to give attention, affection and appreciation to all we meet today.

Another year is coming, let our new year’s resolution be something that would benefit our family to holiness.

Lastly, let us create a religious environment in our family by praying together, going to Church every Sunday, teaching our children the importance of Christian faith and values. The environment of holiness itself is the protection of our families in today from the modern values foreign to Christian values and understanding.Let our family be a sanctuary of love, joy, peace and harmony. Amen.

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There are three marks of a good family: close to God; close to one another; close to the people. Some families are close to God, but they are not close to one another. Some families are close to God and to one another, but they are not close to the people. And it could happen that some families are close to the people and to one another but they are not close to God. So, how’s is our family? - Fr Jerry Orbos inq7.net

sources: 100 Stories You Can Use Vol.1, www.liturgy.slu.edu, www.munachi.com