December 26, 2021 (Year C)

Today we celebrate the Holy Family in a special way. Bonded in love and in obedience to the Lord of life, reflecting the holiness of the Holy Family, centered on Jesus. By the grace of union with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, family life – with its challenges and joys – becomes a path to holiness.

The reading from the book of Sirach sets the tone. God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

One of the great early men of God, uniquely designated as judge, prophet, and priest, Samuel followed the pattern in his distinctive role as the son of Hannah who begged the Lord for the blessing of his birth. She kept him privately held until time came for him to be weaned after which she offered him with the special vow of a perpetual nazirite, presenting him at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine.

After the boy’s father had sacrificed the bull, his mother approached Eli and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” Hannah left Samuel there in service to the Lord. He became instrumental in anointing Saul and David and in instituting the establishment of the monarchy. He founded the line of kings in succession of David and thereby established the bloodline from which the savior would be recognized – that of King David.

When Jesus was an infant, upon his birth he was dedicated at the Temple along with two turtle doves in recognition of his special status in the line of David. He was recognized by a man who was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel. His name was Simeon. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.

He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” When the parents had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk. 2:46-49).

What was common sense, understood by Jesus, that he had a close familial relationship with the Father was taken for granted by him even at a young age and he used this in order to tie himself intimately to the Father for the benefit of the chief priests and religious leaders. His parents also gained access to this privileged knowledge from the time of his being a young boy. Thus, the Holy Family gained notoriety early on with the special insight of Jesus as a lad.

But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. (Lk. 2:50-52).