The Bedrock of Holy Family

 Reflection on Today's Readings, The Feast of Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Sunday 27th December, 2020

Texts: Gen. 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Ps. 105:1-9; Heb. 1:1-2; Luke 2:22-40

Today we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and at the same time a model of what holy family. It is not a mere celebration but a call to emulate them. 

Today's Readings reveal to us the bedrock of the Holy Family: faith in God. If a family is not grounded in faith, it stands the risk of fall; any wind blown against it could make it fall.

The first reading tells us about Abraham's faith in God and how it makes him righteous. It is said, "And he (Abraham) believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." The gospel reading tells us what it means to be righteous: It is obedience to God's command. Mary and Joseph were obedient to God's command and so it is said of them thus: "When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord." This is a call to parents to obey God's command about parenthood and training of their Children; they are to train their children in the way of the Lord; they are the first teacher of faith and moral. Parents help to deepen the understanding of faith received by the children at catechism when the parents practice the faith at home. For instance, a family who prays together helps the children to deepen their understanding of prayer; they come to  appreciate prayer.

Faith held the family of Abraham and Sarah together; it is with faith that they conquered bareness that threatened their marriage. The second reading continues with the theme of faith in God. The reading sees faith as the obedience to God's instructions, even when we do not understand. Faith is a kind of journey in a hazy weather to attain one's hope. It says, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go." It also tells us that the faith of Abraham is dependent on his understanding of God: that God is faithful; that He is able to bring things out of nothing, life from dead; that He has power over nature and time, because He is eternal He could act outside time. This is a reminder that faith entails adherence to its truths. Hence, it is said, "By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. .... By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, ... He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive him back".

Faith makes family to keep their marriage vow to one another. Lack of faith makes the vow made before God and the Church baseless and meaningless. It is faith that upholds vow. Apart from keeping of vow, faith helps to see marriage as a vocation, not just a way of satisfying one's sexual desires. Being a vocation, it is a response to God's call to participate in His works of creation through procreation. In faith, God is the source and the author of family institution. Being the source and author of family institution, he determines what makes family and marriage. Hence, faith in God makes us to have the right and correct understanding of family and marriage. It is what we understand we are able to live rightly. This means lack of faith keeps one in darkness about marriage and family. Today there are some misconceptions of marriage, such as gay marriage, polygamy, polyandry, etc. Lack of understanding of marriage has also affected the features of marriage, such as permanence, companionship, nurturing of life, etc. It is faith that clears the darkness and enlightens us about family and marriage.

Faith obliges us to keep the instructions given by God concerning family and marriage. Since He is the author of family and marriage, it is by keeping to His instructions that family and marriage become holy and pleasing to him. Faith makes a man to be truly husband to his wife and Father to the family; faith makes a woman to be truly wife to her husband and mother to the family; faith makes children to acknowledge their place in the family and to honour their parents. 

Dear friends, the problems we are having in family in our age could be traced to lack of faith in God. Hence, today, we are called to re-examine our faith in God. Let us bring our faith into our family and practice it. The secret of Holy Family is faith, faith in God.

O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bond of charity. Amen.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke