Homily Feast of the Holy Family God is the foundation of family
Homily
Feast of the Holy Family
Reading
1: What is the key phrase? Why should parents be obeyed, respected and cared
for? “God sets a Father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he
confirms.” It is God who is the source of their role and person as father and
mother. So the honor and respect we give to our parents is given to God and
vice versa the dishonor or disrespect is given to God.
The
same is true for children. They come from God who gives them life through the
love of their parents. What is done to them by their parents is done to God.
How
do we honor our parents? We recognize them with gratitude, knowing that they
are no more perfect than we are and are on the same journey as we. Likewise we
are to take care of them in their ole age as they cared for us when we were
helpless and totally dependent. Underlying this honor and respect and care is
love. Whether we experienced their love or not, we are called to love them as
God has loved us.
Our
actions have consequences. How have we honored our parents? How have we not
honored our parents? How have we treated and cared for our children? How have
we wronged them?
Reading
2: Life within a family has its own trials and difficulties as well as joys and
good memories. Marriage and family are more than natural relationships. They
are spiritual ones as well. Our life as members of the family should be govern
by certain virtues and way of treating one another.
Paul
gives us some of these virtues we need to incorporate in our family
relationship. It starts with parents modeling for their children. The first thing
Paul tells us is that each, member of the family is chosen by God. We are
called by virtue of baptism to be holy and full of love. As a result, our
relationship as a family is to be founded on compassion that comes from the
heart, kindness to one another, humility, gentleness and patience.
These
are there to the extent that forgiveness is there, because we will hurt each
other intentionally and unintentionally. So we must have a forgiving attitude.
Remember God has forgiven us for far greater sins than others have done against
us.
But
what gives these virtues purpose is love. So the bottom line is this: Whatever
you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of Jesus in thanksgiving to
the Father.
Gospel:
Jesus teaches us the importance of realizing our relationship with God, the Father
and our parents. He says that while respecting and honoring our parents we must
remember our first priority is obedience to God. There is no contradiction
between the two.
Jesus
is about twelve years old; he has just went through the Bar Mitzvah ceremony
that each Jewish boy had to do to be able to sit with the men and not with the
children. He had to show that he knew the basic tenets of the Jewish Law.
As
an infant he was circumcised and covenanted with God as his son. In his Bar
Mitzvah, he had to show ownership of his faith and that he wants to continue to
grow and defend his relationship with God. Though he is a son of Mary and
foster son of Joseph, two human beings, he was primarily a son of God.
Whether
he was aware yet of his own divinity is not clear, but he is aware of his
special relationship with God, calling him Father. Acknowledging this, he
continues to be obedient to Mary and Joseph. As a result of this double
relationship, he grew in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
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