Friday– Feast of the Holy Family

Gospel – Matthew 2:13-19-23

Family’s First Christmas

St Joseph’s Church, Nazareth

One of the best Christmases we ever celebrated was the first one after our daughter Jaime was born.  She was barely 6 monhs old, probably crawling but certainly not walking yet.  And we did Christmas like never before.  Tons of presents – toys and clothes and books.  And we wrapped each and every one of them.  I honestly can’t remember if Ginger and I got each other presents; we were too focused on making Jaime’s first Christmas memorable.  Of course at 6 months, she would have no memories except for the stories we told her later in life along with all the pictures we took.

That Christmas morning was filled with wonder and laughter and sheer joy, most of it coming from Ginger and myself.  We took turns dramatically opening presents, showing them to Jaime and making our best ooh’s and aah’s!  Of course, Jaime was only interested in the wrapping paper and the ribbons and bows.  Imagine all the money we could have saved by just giving her a roll of wrapping paper and a big red bow!

That was our first Christmas with our daughter, our first Christmas as a family!  It was a time of celebration and play.  But it was also a time of hope, of looking forward to all the Christmases to come and all that Jaime might become and accomplish in the future!

Today’s Gospel tells us of another family – the Holy Family returning to Israel, to Nazareth, after fleeing to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod the Great.  Joseph receives a dream from an angel that it was now safe to return home.  Except for one other story of Jesus being lost in the Temple, we know nothing else about His early life, nothing!  Nothing until He is about 30 years old.  It seems unsatisfying; we want to know more.  Luke’s Gospel adds a single sentence to the story – “And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.”  And that is it for Jesus’ early life!

But maybe that really is all we need to know!  He grew, become strong, filled with wisdom.  Under the guidance of His parents, he grew, became strong and wise!  And through it all, the favor of God was upon Him! And that is what we celebrate today – the importance of the Holy Family!  Jesus being raised in a loving, faith-filled family with Mary and Joseph who placed God at the center of their lives!

For all us struggling in the darkness of winter, of sickness and cold and blizzards, of despair and loss, let us all take comfort and hope this day remembering that the Son of God became a member of our human family and sanctified not only His family but our own.  May the Lord grace us, just like Jesus, Mary and Joseph, with that same hope and faith to make Him the center of our own family’s life!

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