First Reading: A reading from the Book of Sirach 3, 2-6.12-14
Ps 127:1-2. 3. 4-5
Reading from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians 3:12-21.
Gospel of St. Luke 2:22-40
Living as authentic homes in the style of the Family of Nazareth is the challenge presented to us by the octave of Easter, a beautiful feast capable of awakening spirituality and the connection between parents and children, following the example of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
This year, the celebration of the Holy Family commemorates its 150th anniversary since its institution by Pope Leo XIII. This celebration not only illuminates history, but also sheds light on today’s experience of family life. Have you asked yourself how you live your role as a mother, father or child in the mission God has entrusted to you? Take time for prayer and reflection.
In the first reading the text provides a reflection on the importance of love and respect for parents. It reminds us that honoring parents is an act of justice and gratitude, no matter the circumstances, carrying with it the promise of long life and blessings for children. It invites us to consider how we honor and show love to our parents and how it impacts the community and to understand that love, respect and gratitude are fundamental to the fullness of life.
Psalm 127 is a beautiful poem that speaks to us about the importance of depending on God in all areas of our lives. it reminds us that we must allow God to be the foundation and guide in all that we undertake. Without His help, our efforts may be in vain. Trusting in God’s protection and care in our lives and in all of creation. It is an invitation to trust in providence by putting Him first and not placing and depending on our efforts and titles. Finally, there is the care of children as a gift from God, to be cared for with love and responsibility, teaching and preparing them to face the challenges of life.
In the second reading, St. Paul begins an exhortation of a mystical nature regarding the virtues that all those chosen by God have. When he mentions the expression «clothe yourselves», undoubtedly you imagine a dress, a suit, a blanket, because from there he recognizes the greatness of feeling chosen and at the same time what it implies to clothe yourself not with material attire but with the virtues proper to the children of God. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and forgiveness. It is not easy to live them because our human condition makes us fragile, however, prayer as a fundamental element of the life of faith allows you to achieve unsuspected and spiritual paths. A simple and practical exercise that can help you is mentioned by Paul himself: «Begin by giving thanks for every situation, person or event in your life».
And finally we approach a family gospel that recounts the faithfulness of Joseph and Mary in fulfilling the prescriptions and laws of Israel; in this case, the purification in the temple reflects a pious and devout family, committed to faithfully fulfilling what the Lord demands. However, let us focus on the figures of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.
Joseph, a prudent and silent man, represents the authentic proposal of a husband capable of assimilating these virtues for family life. Mary, an industrious, hardworking and prayerful wife, embodies the figure of a mother who is attentive to the process of her family. Jesus, as Luke says, grows in wisdom and grace; this process is proper to children who, throughout their lives, grow and, with experience, recognize the presence of God.
Today, we find ourselves in a society with different proposals about what it means to be a family, but Jesus, Mary and Joseph are the authentic BEING of a family that never ceases to assume the full, mystical and contemplative experience of existence. Today they present the virtues proper to a Christian family.
BEING FAMILY is a challenge that not only challenges social schemes, but also breaks into the real life of charity, fraternity and love in a home. TO BE A FAMILY is the proposal of the Kingdom expressed in affective bonds. If you are a mother and you feel that this task is difficult, assume the example of Mary in her spirit of prayer. If you are a father, adopt the role of Joseph, a prudent man attentive to the needs of his wife. If you are a child, remember that you are in a learning process and that God will show you day by day the necessary teachings to grow in wisdom.
S. Johanna Andrea Cifuentes Gómez, tc