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30 dic 2018
30/12/2018 - Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Year C 

30/12/2018 - Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Year C 

Reading 1 1 SM 1,20-22.24-28 Psalm 83 Reading 2 1 JN 3,1-2.21-24 Gospel LK 2,41-52

 

The first reading and the Gospel bring us into the Temple of Jerusalem. In the events told by both the readings there is a mother opening her heart and mouth.

Hannah wants to go offering the sacrifice only after her son, Samuel, she received as an answer to her prayers, will be weaned. Her sacrifice will be her son himself, who she will dedicate to the Lord, letting him stay in the temple at God’s service. In this way she shows that she did not ask for him for herself, in order to own him, but in order to give him as a gift. The child was born as a gift from God, and she, the mother, wants to give him back to the Lord, thankful to have been heard and granted was she asked.

Mary and Joseph are keeping the tradition to go every year to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. Their heart is still all for God, and in Him they want to trust: with the pilgrimage they renew their unity to Him. It is the Passover, and this time their pilgrimage becomes the prophecy of the future true Passover, when they will find themselves for three days without their son. He, now recognized as able to take His own decisions, remains in the quarters of the Temple, there were the Word of God is heard and its meaning studied. Is He thinking that His parents have brought Him along in order to leave Him in the temple like Samuel in his time? He wants to take care of His Father’s businesses, as He has learnt from His parents: does this not mean to stay and listen to and study God’s Word?

The parents search for Him in distress. They search for Him weeping for three days, as the disciples will weep the missing Jesus for three days, while He was in the tomb. The parents’ suffering it is an advance of the disciples’ one.

These parents have suffered, not because Jesus was left behind in the temple, but because they did not know where He was. They were surely happy for their son to be passionate about God’s Word. They had gone up to the temple bringing Him along exactly to show and strengthen their and His love for God and to strengthen their belonging to the people of Israel.

We are looking at this story from the Gospel today, the Feast of the Holy Family: it will give some consolation or input to the life of our families.  Is Jesus’ decision going to tell something to our teenagers and young people? Can Mary and Joseph’s labored search console today’s parents, or will it give them the idea to deal with their children in a different way than the one they are living? Will the relationship lived by Jesus with Mary and Joseph be of help to create new relationships inside the family?

We are pleased to see that twelve-year-old Jesus is able to take decisions by Himself, and He takes them towards listening to God and deepening the understanding of His Word. This choice of the boy Jesus is pushing us not to waste time in frivolities. His answer, then, helps parents to give credit to their children when they want to take brave and challenging decisions regarding faith. Their maturity is measured looking at the choices they make, not their age. The children are, first of all, God’s property, and He can even call them to give Him their life.  In this they find fulfillment, the deepest joy, accomplishment. “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”. Jesus thinks that what He does must be obvious for everyone. Then, however, He obeys His parents and He goes back to Nazareth and is submissive. To be in His Father’s house will mean for Him to stay with Joseph and Mary, doing what they ask. He will show in this way His love for God the Father, and obeying His mum and dad he will live that commandment that He will later give to His disciples. This commandment is reminded us by Saint John in the short passage from his letter.

To love one another is the secret for the stability and joy of every family. To say that we need to love one another, however, is not enough: who actually can? Is able to live this “commandment” whoever believes in Jesus Christ. The parents who believe in Jesus love each other and they foster a serious and liberating love towards their children. The children who believe in Jesus know how to love their brothers and sisters in a serene way, free from jealousy, envy and selfishness. The children that believe in Jesus know how to respect and honor their parents, and they take care of them when they need it. The family who believes in Jesus grows united, open to take on other people’s problems too. Let us look constantly at the family of Nazareth, where Jesus is the center. This looking will make us aware of God’s presence, ready to bring His love on earth. When we are His servants, like Samuel and Jesus, we will be truthful, happy and useful to the world!