Homily

Fr. Jose Kallukalam - Pastor

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
 
A cartoon in the New Yorker magazine says all about the day after Christmas. In the middle of the floor is a dried up, withered Christmas tree. The calendar on the wall read December 26. Dad is sitting in his chair with an ice pack on his head. Mom is in a bathrobe and her hair in rollers. The floor is a virtual mountain of torn wrappings, boxes, and bows. Junior is reaching into his stocking to be sure that there was no more candy. In the background we see a table with a thoroughly picked turkey still sitting there. The caption on the cartoon was simply: The morning after.
 
I think it is to normalize our lives in our families after Christmas that we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family and invite its holy members to our families. Today’s feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph tells us that holy families are human families with their unique gifts and challenges. Holy families experience joy and wonder as well as pain and fear. In spite of all that, family is where love and holiness prosper.
 
Among the many insights provided about the Holy Family in Matthew’s account of the Gospel is that their family life was filled with tensions and unexpected turns too, even though they were all holy. It tells us that Holy Family is a role model of faith in the face of familial troubles. No parents raising children are immune from struggle and pain. But keep in mind that all parents who raise children in faith and trust in God have built a home with strong foundation.
 
In today’s Gospel reading, we hear how Joseph was instructed in a series of dreams first to flee to Egypt, then to return to Israel after Herod’s death and finally to live in Nazareth of Galilee. Joseph was the type of parent who paid attention to warning signs and acted out of faith in God.
 
The First Reading comes from the Book of Sirach. This Jewish wisdom writer extols children honoring, obeying and caring for their father and mother. When children treat their parents in this manner, the wisdom writer tells us that their prayers are heard. St. Paul in the Second Reading asks husbands and wives to love and respect each other. When children see their parents loving and caring for each other, they learn a great lesson and they will do the same. The love and care that Jesus showed towards all people he encountered was surely a reflection of what he saw in his parents and from the loving heavenly Father.
 
Thomas was 32 years old and he was still single. One day a friend asked, "Why aren't you married? Can't you find a girl who will be a good wife?" Thomas replied, "Actually, I've found many girls I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them."
His friend thought for a moment and said, "I've an idea, find a girl who's just like your mother." A few months later they met again and his friend asked, "Did your mother like your new girlfriend?" With a frown on his face, Thomas said, "Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much." The friend asked, "Then what's the problem?" Thomas replied, "My father doesn't like her."
 
Today’s Gospel passage reminds us that internal as well as external factors can fracture families. What keeps the good spirit alive in the family is their faith and trust in God and consequent willingness to make sacrifices for the family.
 
Wholeness and sacredness of the family depends up on how much that family experiences God’s love. Children experience God’s love when the parents themselves have it and how it is nurtured in their children. There are three things parents need to do in order to make it happen - go to church regularly and receive the Sacraments especially the Eucharist, read the Bible and pray together in the family. Those are the means that we should consciously use to build up sacredness in the family.
 
As we all know, it involves sacrifice, especially from the part of the parents. But let us keep in mind that, that sacrifice is the greatest and most valuable investment we can make for the good of the family and for the better future of our children.