BEING SCHOOLED IN A FAMILY

First Reading: Gen 15:1-6; 21:1-3
Second Reading: Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19
Gospel: Lk 2:22-40

Today, we are celebrating the feast of Holy Family. Family is the base for any community. Even God when He wanted to become human, He chose to be born as an infant in a family. God could have come down to humans in any form or as a well grown human person but He purposely chose to be born in an atmosphere of family. Thus, family is a divine constituted structure. Family is the first school for human person. God’s willingness to be schooled in a family prior to His public ministry asserts the inevitability of family structure for the well-being of humanity. The future of the child lies in his/her upbringing in the family. Today, we are called to be schooled from the Holy Family of Nazareth consisted of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for the well-being of our family life.

 In the Gospel, we notice Mary and Joseph going to Jerusalem Temple to fulfil the Law of Moses (Lk 2:22). Although there is no need for Mother Mary to undergo a purification ceremony as she was both immaculately conceived and brought forth Jesus without any cooperation from man but from the power of the Holy Spirit, yet Holy family carries out the requirement of the Law of Moses. They circumcise and consecrate baby Jesus. Obedience and humility is the virtue of New Testament which effects salvation. The obedience of Mary to God’s plan, the humility of St. Joseph to lead a virginal family life and bring up a child that is not of his flesh effects new creation. The disobedience and pride of Adam and Eve in the Old Testament is redeemed by the virtues of Mary and Joseph in the New Testament. The practice of virtue benefits not only the practitioner but others as well. Mary and Joseph are very regular in visiting the Jerusalem temple (Lk 2:41). They take their child Jesus with them to the temple. God’s family is going to the temple to meet God as a family. What a wonderful family is that! Today, where do the families go as a family? The first place for parents to take their child as a family should be the Church. Going for the Holy Mass as a family and fulfilling the commandments of God just like Mary and Joseph will keep the family together and morally sound. The loss of morality in today’s society is due to failure in family responsibility. When the structure of the family falls, the society heads to the doom. The snare of the devil is to attack the basic structure of the family so that the entire society is pushed into disarray. The voice for abortion, right to pro-choice, economical concern over the number of children in a family, non-committed relationship and liberalizing family virtues in the name of signs of the time are adherence to the voice of the devil. They need to be resisted at all circumstances.

Family is not a perfect institution but it is essential for humanity. As Simeon tells Mother Mary about the sword that will pierce her heart in her latter days of life (Lk 2:35), we too are told to accept swords that will pierce our families at some point in the course of the time. Mary overcomes the sword of crucifixion of Jesus with her deep faith in God. In the first and second readings of today, we are given Abraham as model for our faith. Abraham believed about things that seemed to be impossible: for he believed that God will be able to give him an offspring despite his old age. He obeyed God without any doubts and conditions. When God asked him to sacrifice his only heir Isaac, he did not hesitate: for he knew that God is able to bring back his son to life (Heb 11:19). In our families we need faith to march ahead against hopelessness. It is faith in God that makes one to trust his wife, her husband and his/her children. On this day of family, let us consecrate our families to Jesus, Mary and Joseph. May they keep us under their power and protection. May fathers in the family be like St. Joseph to provide the needs of the family and give protection. May mothers in the family like Mary have deep faith in the time of crisis. May children in the family be brought to the Church regularly for worship and celebrations. A family that unites to give time for the Lord will see wonders. Let our families revolutionize the society through holiness and deep faith in God.   

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