Archive for December 30th, 2023

Family is the Gift of God

December 30, 2023

Feast of the Holy Family
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. By celebrating the Sunday following Christmas as the feast of the Holy family, the church encourages us to look to the Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph for inspiration, example, and encouragement. We know very little about the life of the Holy Family through the Scriptures. They speak of the early years of the Holy Family, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, the finding of Jesus in the temple, and their life at Nazareth. However, we certainly know that they were a model family in which both parents worked hard, helped each other, understood and accepted each other, and took good care of their Child so that He might grow up not only in human knowledge but also as a Child of God.

Every human family is in God’s Plan. We know that in the book of Genesis, from the time of creation, God did not want man to be alone but created the human race as a family. The readings of today also speak of the family as a gift of God. The book of Sirach tells us about the obligation of parents towards their children. It reminds us of the first parents who were created in the image and likeness of God. It explains the close bond that exists between God and man. It teaches that children must learn from their parents about the love of the Lord and the precepts received from God. Parents must set a good example to their children. In turn, children must carry out their duties to God, to their parents, and to their fellow human beings.

The Second reading of today reminds us of the centrality of love. We are the children of God. In addition to our own family, we also belong to God’s family. We are all brothers and sisters to each other of our common Father and we share his life. There is then an obligation for all of us to care for each other.

The Gospel today tells us how Mary and Joseph offered the Child Jesus in the temple and returned to Nazareth to live a life of poverty. The earnings of Joseph as a village carpenter may not have been high. They willingly accepted the simple ordinary life in a remote village, living in harmony, observing the laws prescribed, visiting the temple and synagogue, and living an exemplary life. They accepted God’s will and were ready to accept the suffering and pain that came along the way. They are for us a true example of what family life should be like here on Earth.

The feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our families too. The main purpose of the feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families. It is a good time to remember the family unit and pray for our human and spiritual families. We also take this feast to reflect on the value and sanctity of the family unit and to evaluate our own family life. We must ask ourselves what we are doing to promote the family within our own cultures, neighborhoods, and communities.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Marriage and Family, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

God’s Holy Family of Saints

December 30, 2023

Feast of the Holy Family
By Deacon Dick Kostner

Today we celebrate the Holy Family the mentor of “Patience.” I like many Americans suffer from the illness I call “Patienitus” an illness that attacks those who demand results in conquering life struggles and challenges not tomorrow but rather right now- before any suffering can occur. Oh I know the rules of nature that God is not governed by “time” as we know it and you will hear me say “…remember God does not wear a watch like we wear” because God has no beginning nor end. But I also know that God has no limitations so God can speed things up or slow things down, if he so desires.

Today’s Gospel tells us the story about the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple as was required by the Law of Moses and two old people of faith Simeon and Anna who believed in the coming of Jesus and were awaiting his arrival to meet him before they died. They knew God is not governed by time but they also knew that their age was getting up there and I am sure they worried that they would die before they could meet Jesus and the Holy Family. They were beginning to show symptoms of coming down with “Patienitus.” But their faith held strong and they were finally blessed with meeting the Holy Family. Simeon and Anna knew the vaccination for not getting “Patienitus” was faith in God. God did not speed up their prayers to meet Jesus rather God just extended their life span so that they could witness their prayers being answered.

We live in troubled times. As a Parish family we continue to meet and offer our prayers to God together as a family asking for help for ourselves and help and direction for the welfare of our children and friends. But we sometimes wonder if God is really listening to our prayer petitions. The world needs divine help now not sometime in the future. We need Jesus to come to us now before we loose are freedoms, and before we just give up and that’s when we are most likely to become a disciple of the evil one who is working very hard to destroy our faith that God will always be there for us.

You have heard the saying, “Only death and taxes are certain.” Well I learned a new certainty at my Deacon Education session a few weeks ago. The priest speaker said it is a certainty that as followers of Christ we must experience suffering before we are able to be admitted into heaven. He also said that we all expect that maybe we can get a pass but that cannot happen. Even Jesus prayed that the cup of suffering might pass, but then he ended his prayer with saying “but not my will but the will of the Father be done.” We need to remember to include that phrase in all our prayers for relief from suffering. No one, not even Jesus or Mary escaped the certainty and need for suffering as a requirement to enter into the Kingdom of God.

This is when we need to ask for help from the saints like Simeon and Anna who were growing old waiting to see in person, the Redeemer of the world, who would bring light to the darkness we experience during our journey to join Jesus and the Saints in the land of light. Mary and Joseph did not know what their experience would be like raising the Son of Light before their trip to the Temple with Jesus. But, God gifted them with the presence of two special people who shared with them a look into the future by sharing communications they had received from God on what life would be like raising the Son of God in a very troubled world.

The gift that God gave the Holy Family is also given to us as a member of the Holy Family, and that is the gift of faith. Faith that God has us covered even though things may seem hopeless, and time is running out for us to see in person our friend and redeemer, Jesus. Remember that Jesus has many faces and many bodies in people we call Saints who are members of the Holy Family who are living with and praying with us, and for us, every day.

No Jesus does not have a watch to keep track of time, but he does give us members of His Church to guide and support us here and now who will reveal to us our future life as Simeon and Anna did for Jesus and Mary. Let us remember today to give thanks to God for allowing us to become a member of the Holy Family and join them in prayer and thanksgiving celebrating our faith that Jesus is present with us for support and waiting for a hug from his brothers and sisters of faith.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Marriage and Family, Patience, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »