Each year Jesus’ 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?” 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Homily: Love and Trust: It’s what holds families together.
On this first Sunday after Christmas, the Church offers us the beautiful celebration of the Holy Family of Nazareth. So to begin my homily, I thought it would be a good idea to see what this word family actually means. The Oxford English Dictionary defines family as, “A group of people related by blood or marriage.” Well that’s pretty boring! So why don’t I give you some of my favorite definitions of family.
1. Families are like fudge—mostly sweet but with a few nuts thrown in.
2. The family is a social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space.
3. George Burns defines family as “having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
4. George Carlin offers this astute observation: “The other night I ate at a really nice family restaurant. At every table they were arguing.”
Even though we call Jesus, Mary and Joseph the Holy Family, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have their share of problems and difficulties. To put it another way, just as each of us has a cross to carry, the Holy Family carried a cross as well. To mention a few examples, imagine how misunderstood Mary and Joseph felt about the conception of Jesus before they lived together. Joseph was even planning to divorce Mary before being assured that it was the work of God. Nine months later the birth of Jesus took place in an animal shelter, since nothing better could be found. Forty days after that he was taken to the Temple to be dedicated to God, where Simeon predicted that “a sword of sorrow” would pierce Mary’s soul. And let’s not forget the time when The Holy Family became refugees in Egypt because of the insane jealousy of King Herod. Later on when Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph were frantic after losing him for three days, and then had to deal with his bizarre explanation that he had to be about his “Father’s business.” The public life of Jesus must have taken its toll on Mary as well. She must have been very hurt when she heard the rumors that her Son was a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But the worst moment of all was when she watched her Son die in public disgrace on the Cross.
So what held the Holy Family together during all of these trials? The same things that hold your family together during trials: Love and trust. Families are at their very best, especially during the difficult times, when they love and trust one another. That’s why it’s so important to spend quality time together, like talking together, worshiping together, playing games and sports together, doing household chores together, eating meals together. And don’t forget that all of these activities should be done without the use of electronic devices. In my opinion, low-tech is by far the best tech when it comes to interacting with others. Parents, your mission for the new year is to make your family a top priority, right after your relationship with God. Trust me, there is no better plan for your family than this!
Evangelio: Lucas 2, 41-52
Lectura del santo Evangelio según san Lucas
Los padres de Jesús solían ir cada año a Jerusalén para las festividades de la Pascua. Cuando el niño cumplió doce años, fueron a la fiesta, según la costumbre. Pasados aquellos días, se volvieron, pero el niño Jesús se quedó en Jerusalén, sin que sus padres lo supieran. Creyendo que iba en la caravana, hicieron un día de camino; entonces lo buscaron, y al no encontrarlo, regresaron a Jerusalén en su busca.
Al tercer día lo encontraron en el templo, sentado en medio de los doctores, escuchándolos y haciéndoles preguntas. Todos los que lo oían se admiraban de su inteligencia y de sus respuestas. Al verlo, sus padres se quedaron atónitos y su madre le dijo: "Hijo mío, ¿por qué te has portado así con nosotros? Tu padre y yo te hemos estado buscando llenos de angustia". Él les respondió: "¿Por qué me andaban buscando? ¿No sabían que debo ocuparme en las cosas de mi Padre?" Ellos no entendieron la respuesta que les dio. Entonces volvió con ellos a Nazaret y siguió sujeto a su autoridad. Su madre conservaba en su corazón todas aquellas cosas.
Jesús iba creciendo en saber, en estatura y en el favor de Dios y de los hombres.