Homily for Feast of the Holy Family Year B
by Fr. Tommy Lane
The Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph are put before us past the Church this weekend equally a model for our families. We call them "The Holy Family" only that does non hateful that they did non have problems. Just every bit every family has to confront problems and overcome them, or to put it another way, has to bear a cross, then besides The Holy Family had to carry crosses. Their many crosses come to mind equally we read the Scriptures.
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We tin hands imagine how misunderstood both Mary and Joseph must take been when Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Their story would never be believed.
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Even Mary herself had information technology very rough early on in the pregnancy when Joseph was planning to divorce her earlier the angel intervened in a dream.
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When the time for Jesus' commitment came information technology took identify in an animals' shelter since Bethlehem was already so crowded.
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Then the family had to flee to Egypt as refugees because Jesus' life was in danger due to Herod, in much the same manner every bit refugees from war-torn countries are at present entering many western countries.
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Mary and Joseph suffered the awful feel of losing Jesus for three days when he was twelve years old and the merely satisfaction they got from him was that he had to be about his Father'south business.
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We practise not hear of Joseph any more so we presume that before Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee Joseph had died - The Holy Family suffering the greatest hurting of all families, the pain of bereavement and separation through death.
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Jesus' public ministry must have taken its toll on Mary. Simeon had predicted in the Temple that a sword of sorrow would pierce Mary's soul. We can imagine one such occasion as we read in Mark three:21 that when Jesus returned to Nazareth ane twenty-four hours his relatives came to take him by forcefulness convinced that he was out of his mind. Not a very pleasant feel for any family, no matter how holy.
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At that place was also the pain caused past the rhyme made upwardly about Jesus: "Behold a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of taxation-collectors and sinners" (Luke seven:34).
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And there was the growing hostility to Jesus by the Jewish authorities that must have caused huge pain to both Mary and Jesus, especially as it became increasingly obvious that Jesus would have to pay for his mission past dying.
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The saddest moment of all came when Mary watched her son die on the cantankerous.
What kept The Holy Family together and sane throughout all of these trials and crosses? The respond is 'Love for each other and God'. Jesus' dearest for Mary and Mary'south love for Jesus, and the dear of both of them for God the Male parent. Nosotros can meet Jesus' dearest for his mother when he was dying on the cross and was worried nigh leaving her behind so he asked his close friend and disciple John to look after her, saying to Mary, 'Woman behold your son', and to John 'behold your mother' (John 19:26-27). What holds our families together as well in times of difficulty is dearest and forgiveness. It is love which triumphs in the end, even if for a while love may have to have the form of some honest talking. When discipline needs to be given, if it is not given in love it is reduced to abuse. If ever our families fail in any way, information technology is considering of a lack of love on someone's part. Whenever our families are successful, it is considering they are places of beloved.
I believe that the greatest threat facing families now is merely that we don't spend enough time together. We are so busy working, or socializing, or watching Telly that we have less and less time for each other. What a pity. There is a story about a solicitor who lived a considerable altitude from her elderly father. Months had passed since they had been together and when her father called to ask when she might visit, the daughter detailed a list of reasons that prevented her from taking the time to see him, e.k., court schedule, meetings, new clients, research, etc., etc. At the finish of the recitation, the father asked, "When I die, do you intend to come to my funeral?" The girl'south response was immediate, "Dad, I can't believe you'd ask that! Of class, I'll come!" To which the father replied, "Skilful. Forget the funeral and come up; I need y'all more now than I volition then." Every bit I said, I believe one of the greatest threats facing families now is simply that we practice not spend enough time together. Spending time together with the family unit is a manner of showing our family unit that nosotros beloved them. When we dearest our family unit we want to sacrifice ourselves by spending fourth dimension with them, and all the more and then when we realize that past not spending time with them we are depriving them of our love and hurting them.
Just as the holy family survived all its crises through love for each other and religion in God, let us pray during this Mass that our families will conquer all difficulties through love for each other and faith in God.
(I found the story in the second last paragraph above in A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers: And All Who Love Stories That Motility and Challenge
Copyright © Fr. Tommy Lane 2013
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More homilies for the Lord's day in the Octave of Christmas - The Holy Family
God's Program for the Family - a Reflection of God's Love
The Holy Family persevered through trials just as our families
The Holy Family and Our Families 2015
Related Homilies: The Marriage of Mary and Joseph
Conduct with one some other charitably, beloved your children
The Truly Groovy Ones of this World - Those who Dear and Serve 2015
What God has joined together man must not divide
The Church building's Teaching on Union
stories about family
stories for Christmas
Source: https://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/years_abc/holy_family.htm
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