Christmas is the season for the family. It is the time when the whole family gather together to celebrate Christmas. Each member of the family wherever he/she is, even if it is from the farthest point on earth, needs to come home to their families on Christmas.
Today we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Christmas story of God becoming man also involves the coming of God into a family—the family of Mary and Joseph. The coming of Christ transformed the married life of Joseph and Mary. When Joseph and Mary freely accepted God’s plan into their lives, their lives no longer revolved around their family’s plans but the bigger plan of God for the whole human family. The future of the family of Joseph and Mary also became connected to Jesus’ mission of redemption. As Simeon prophesied in the gospel today while holding the infant Jesus,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
—and you yourself a sword will pierce—
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Obviously these words refer to the baby born just a few days ago. They capture the fulfillment of the Christmas story. The child brings peace; he is a fulfillment of the Lord’s word that a Messiah would come; he is an entrance of the Word into the whole world, not just to part of it: he is sent to Gentiles as well as to Israel; he is a revelation and he is a glory.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is God’s identification with our families. God became human and dwelt amongst our families. God is born into our families in whatever situation we find our families today. Joseph, Mary and Jesus also had to face many issues and problems. They suffered persecution when Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. Joseph and Mary carrying the baby Jesus had to flee to Egypt to escape from the terror unleash by the tyrant Herod. The Holy Family, while raising up Jesus, had to endure the hardships and exploitation in 1st century Palestine under the Roman empire.
God entered into the joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties of our family. Thus, Christmas is facing the real situation and issues of our families inasmuch as it is a time of gathering as a family. As we gather as family, let us truly be present to each other. To be present to one another is to forgive and ask forgiveness from each other. To be present to one another is to truly listen and accept each other. St. Paul, in the 2nd reading, spells out further what it means for bringing Christ into our family:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
As we continue our celebration of the feast of Christmas may we experience more profoundly God’s presence in the midst of all the joys and the hopes, griefs and anxieties of our families.
Copiosa 