"The child grew and became strong,
filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." (Luke 2: 22-40)
The Feast of
the Holy Family, coming as it does right after Christmas, reminds us of the
total humanity of Christ. The miracle of
Christmas is that Christ was born fully human.
But this belief and the simplicity of the stable are sometimes contradicted
by our celebrations as we see the Nativity scene portrayed in great glory and our
churches decorated in glorious adornment.
And while it’s fitting that we give great emphasis and glory to the
Christmas celebration, the feast of the Holy Family highlights Jesus’ total
humanity.
So it’s a
great time to reflect on this humble Jewish family. Picture the Christ Child in Mary’s arms being
presented at the temple — an ordinary act of an ordinary family. It’s easy to identify with Mary and Joseph, as
they take their first steps toward raising their child. As parents ourselves or as our parents’
children, we can empathize with the love, joy, pride, and fear that Mary and
Joseph must have felt.
Mary must
have held the baby close to her heart and we can imagine Joseph in a protective
stance as they hear the words of Simeon.
They must have wondered just what was he saying would happen to their
little baby?
Our faith is
based on the miracle not of a stable that witnessed Divinity, but of a Divinity
that totally embraced humanity, thereby embracing each of us and bringing
salvation to all periods of human life. God tells us this by not choosing to
suddenly appear on a cloud, or as a mature, wise elder, but rather being born
and raised in the loving bosom of an ordinary family–a simple, humble family
dealing with many of the same pains and sorrows that every family faces. Jesus took on not only the form of a man but
the emotions, the growth, the learning, and the connectedness that come from
being part of a family.
As I reflect
on “ordinary” families, I am reminded of a passage in Matthew’s gospel: At that time the
disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen,
I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the
kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18, 1-4)
I remember a
Christmas Mass for children that my family and I attended about ten years
ago. The priest was presenting his homily
to the children and to keep it interesting, he was asking them questions. “What makes a holy family?” The man behind me loudly answered, “Prayer!” “What
kind of prayers?”, Father asked. Again, the elderly man answered, “The Our
Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be.” “What are those prayers all put together?” His answer was louder this time; “The rosary!”
At this point, I heard a woman whisper
in a hushed tone, “Dad, be quiet! The questions are for the children!” I giggled to myself, then it hit me!
I don’t know
if the man was senile, a victim of Alzheimer’s, or simply great faith. No matter the reason, his child-like responses
were right on the money! His daughter
may have thought her father was embarrassing himself, but in my opinion, he was
just the oldest child there. And thus,
one of the “greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
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