December 28, 2014
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph
It is appropriate during the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord that we honor the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. But honestly is their family life in Nazareth relevant to us today. We know very little in the Bible of these “hidden years.†St. Luke tells us that after the presentation of Jesus at the temple they return to Nazareth where Jesus grows in strength and wisdom, and God’s favor is upon him. Again, in the Gospel according to Luke, after Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the temple, they return to Nazareth and Jesus is obedient to them. In our first reading, the Book of Sirach, a Jewish sage and headmaster speaks of the respect children should have for their parents. In our second reading, Paul writes to the Colossians, God’s holy ones, to put on “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another -- and over all these put on love.†“Putting on†is a reference to our baptismal garment and our new life in Christ. “Holy†is not only a fitting word to describe the family in Nazareth but also our own families as we acknowledge the sanctity of human love.
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Nativity of the Lord
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Mary, Mother of God
