Sunday – Feast of the Holy Family

Gospel – Luke 2:22-40

Family’s First Christmas

St Joseph’s Church, Nazareth

I don’t know if our family is the crazy one but we have a set tradition when we put up our Christmas tree.  It all turns into a family history lesson as we select each ornament and add it to the tree.  We reminisce!  We remember when we got the ornament, what year it was, what special event it celebrates!  I imagine, over the years, the family gets a little tired of hearing the same story over and over.  But I think it’s important to remind ourselves of our roots as a family and pass on that history to the next generation.

And so, even though it was just the 2 of us,  the history lesson and the fond memories continued this year.  This ornament?  That was our first Christmas together as husband and wife.  This one?  That was the year we bought our house!  This one?  That ornament has been passed down through at least 4 generations of family!  This one?  That was a gift from my students after my first year of teaching!  And those 2 little handmade Santas from our grandsons!

And then there’s this one!  The first Christmas we celebrated after our daughter was born.  Jaime’s first Christmas!  She was barely 6 months 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 carefully and generously wrapped each and every one of them with care and with love. 

I honestly can’t remember if Ginger and I got each other presents; we were too focused on making Jaime’s first Christmas memorable (at least for the 2 of us).  Of course at 6 months, Jaime 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!  In the end, the massive pile of toys and gifts was left untouched!  Jaime was only interested in the wrapping paper and the ribbons and bows.  Imagine all the money, time and effort 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 going up to Jerusalem with the baby Jesus to present Him to the Lord in the Temple, a religious tradition that takes place 40 days after the birth of the first-born.  Parents would present their first-born as an offering to the Lord and then redeem him back with a sacrifice of 2 turtledoves or young pigeons.

And it is there that they meet the Prophet Simeon and the Prophetess Anna who both rejoice that their eyes have beheld the Savior of the world!   They hold Him in their arms, they bless Him and bless Mary and Joseph. Simeon and Anna both predict that He would be the glory for His people Israel and a light of revelation for the Gentiles

The Gospel ends with a curious line.   “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him”.  And that’s it!  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.  Those ‘hidden years’ are summed up in that one sentence.  It seems unsatisfying; we want to know more. 

But maybe that really is all we need to know!  He grew, became 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 damp and dreary weather, in the darkness of winter, of sickness and separation, 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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