The love of God is the foundation of the Holy Family. Their love for the Father and their desire to be faithful to God strengthened their love for each other.
December 31, 2023
The Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on Sunday after the Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord. This feast was formed at the beginning of the 19th century in Canada and then spread throughout the Church in 1920. This feast day honors Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the Holy Family. Therefore, they are the perfect model of all Christian families because they put God at the center of their lives and families. They love each other and sacrifice for each other in their family. They also show love for others as the redemptive mission of the Incarnate Word. Because Joseph and Mary were obedient to God, the Messiah was able to offer His sacrifice for the salvation of the world. The Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph are fully committed to God. They accept His calling in their lives, and they faithfully follow their vocation given by God.
If there is one virtue that we need to emulate in the Holy Family, it is their trust in God. The catechism tells us that the sin of Adam and Eve, the first family, happened because they allowed their trust in God to die in their hearts (CCC 397). In simpler words, they chose to trust in their own wisdom and not in God's. The result is that they did what they think is right because they were told by the serpent that it was right. The Holy Family shows us the complete opposite by their obedience to God and not Satan.
Mary was invited by the angel to be the Mother of the Messiah, despite her being betrothed to Joseph. Carrying someone else's child when she was about to marry Joseph was considered adultery and would be punished by stoning. Despite the fact that no other instructions were given by the angel, she agreed to God's invitation even though she knew that she could be stoned to death. She gave God all her trust and abandoned her life to God's will.
Joseph was invited by the angel to be the father of this family. The angel also asked him to name Mary's child "Jesus." In the Jewish tradition of the time, a child was given a name at the time of circumcision. The man who gives the name is “adding” the child’s name to his ancestors’ names. So when Joseph, an ancestor of King David, gave Jesus his name, Jesus also became the "Son of David." Despite Joseph's doubts about what was happening in the future, he accepted this work, and he trusted God.
Jesus also, when he got lost in the Temple, it was clear to Him that he should be in His Father's house—He was referring to God. Yet, "He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51). Think that Jesus, our Lord, obeys His parents despite being God and King of the universe, who must also be obeyed. His human nature trusted His parents, and His divine nature trusted the Father.
The virtues of obedience and acceptance comes from love. They accepted God's unique and individual plan for each of their lives and became obedient to his call. Mary accepted God's plan to be the Mother of Jesus. Joseph accepted taking Mary into his home and became obedient to being the guardian of the Son of God. Jesus accepted His Father's will, which is often a difficult road to walk, but He obeyed. If every member of the family has obedience and trust in God, we can follow the example of the Holy Family to be a good father, mother, and son.
The love of God is the foundation of the Holy Family. Their love for the Father and their desire to be faithful to God strengthened their love for each other.
Looking at the Holy Family shows us what a family means. A family should consist of people who sacrifice and strive to love each other and both grow in holiness. Parents should be selfless in showering love to their children. This kind of love motivates children to respect their parents. Children are supposed to please, respect, and reciprocate the love of their parents. Love, when healthy and holy, is meant to point to the love of the Heavenly Father. It aims to offer their lives for each other completely and mutually, which illustrates the love of Christ and His Church.
#OLAMarikina #BirhenNgMarikina
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References:
Holy Family | EWTN. (n.d.). EWTN Global Catholic Television Network.
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/seasons-and-feast-days/holy-family-20564
Vatican News. (2023, June 21). Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Vatican News.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/liturgical-holidays/feast-of-the-holy-family-of-jesus--mary-and-joseph-.html
Kindlings. (n.d.). The Holy Family. The Catholic Talks.
https://thecatholictalks.com/articles_post.asp?id=32
