Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (Samuel, as long as he lives, shall be dedicated to the Lord.)
A reading from the first Book of Samuel (1:20-22, 24-28)

In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the Lord for him. The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vows, Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, “Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the Lord and to remain there forever; I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”

Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of fl our, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh. After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” Hannah left Samuel there. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10)
R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord. (Ps 84:5a)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (R)

Happy they who dwell in your house! Continually they praise you. Happy the men whose strength you are! Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage. (R)

O Lord of hosts, hear our prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob! O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed. (R)

SECOND READING (We are called children of God. And so we are.)
A reading from the first Letter of Saint John (3:1-2, 21-24)

Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. And so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Acts 16:14b)
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. (R)

GOSPEL (His parents found Jesus sitting in the midst of the teachers.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (2:41-52)

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“Honor thy father and thy mother.”

 

The Feast of the Holy Family has traveled around the Church calendar quite a bit. Devotion to the Holy Family rose in the early 17th century, and by the 19th century Pope Leo XIII made it a liturgical feast for some dioceses, and then earlier in the 20th century, Pope Benedict XV placed it on the Sunday after Epiphany. In the reforms of the liturgical calendar in the 1970’s, it was placed where we have it today, on the Sunday immediately after Christmas.

Our three readings address various aspects of family relationships that all are built upon the foundation of the Fourth Commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” We learned this commandment in our earliest instructions into the Catholic faith along with the other nine commandments. For some of us who were baptized as infants, this fourth commandment might have been the only commandment we were taught or heard, since we were expected to attend Mass with our parents, and we were taught to sit still, and to listen and not fidget during mass – a simple glance from our mother or father would silence us. We learned too that this injunction of obeying our parents led to understanding other commandments such as respecting the property of others. We were taught – by honoring our mother and father – not to steal, not to fight, and not to use bad language. And since our young years were surrounded by this 4th commandment, we might think that it was originally intended for children; at least, that is the way it was probably presented to us.

Actually, this IV Commandment was intended for children, but more for ADULT CHILDREN than for younger ones. Most likely, we learned later in life that the commandments were part of God’s covenant pact made with the Israelites, a pact that required adult participation. So, from this we can presume that all commandments without exception were directed towards adults.

Our first reading from the Book of Sirach confirms this when it insists that respect extends to a parent even when that parent us suffering from some form of diminishment, particularly at such a time. This passage expresses what can only be described as true “family values.” It insists that respect is due both to the father and the mother, an interesting prescription from a society grounded in patriarchal values. The author of Sirach may not have valued women as much as we would like, but he certainly ordered respect for mothers. Finally, it is clear that the author also values children, for a new generation of children is promised as the blessing for those who respect their parents.

Many modern societies seem to lack this kind of respect for elders noted in this reading, though it is found in more traditional societies even today. Not only is the lack of such respect a shame, but it is also a loss. Our history is inscribed in the memories of the elders; the wisdom that we need for successful living is imprinted on their hearts.; They have watched fads come and go, and they know from experience what in life has lasting value. If we really respected our parents and all of the elder members of society, we would always honor them. We would give them the financial assistance they need so that they would never have to choose between required medication and nourishing food. We would see to it that the elderly shut-ins would not have to suffer devastating loneliness along with the burden of age and diminishment.

The child Jesus knew that his elders were the repositories of wisdom and tradition. That is why, as we heard in the Gospel just now, he stayed in the Temple listening quietly to the teachers and asking them questions while his family set out for home after celebrating the Feast of Passover in Jerusalem. Then, even though he identified God as his Father, he went back to Nazareth with his parents, where he was obedient to them.

Another group that modern society sometimes neglects is the children. We all love babies – especially in our parish community. They are so cute, so adorable! But we often overlook children whose clothes may be wrinkled or ripped or dirty, and who are missing a tooth or two, or have bruises. When the “awkward ages” set in, we frequently forget how cute they once were or how good looking they will probably grow to be. At that stage, they simply ANNOY us with their rowdiness and rebellion, and sometimes with their incessant questioning. We claim that we want the best education for our children, but we cannot always provide such funds that will give them access to the best teachers. And we do not always insist that the children be steeped in the traditions of our faith and in the history, literature and art of civilization. When we fail to do this, we robe them of their heritage.

If we really love our children, not merely those who are related to us as our own flesh and blood, but all children of society, we would not tolerate any form of child abuse. We would vigorously oppose child trafficking and other obscenities everywhere in the world. We would insist that teachers be competent and dedicated; that all school buildings be safe and in good repair; that the curricula prepare our children for the future and instill in them an appreciation for the things in life that are good and beautiful. If we love children, we will teach them to love others and to commit themselves to fashioning a better world.

It is so easy to become impatient with both our elderly and our children. So often they do not conform to what we consider is best for them. We sometimes resist their independence and penalize them for exerting it. It is all so much easier when they obey. But this is not always the best policy. St. Paul instructs us today on how we are to live in our families. He exhorts us to be filled with “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  Such sentiments cross generational lines. They flow from the kind of love that creates and strengthens family ties. They are the kind of sentiments that can make our families truly HOLY FAMILIES.

Prayers

Celebrant: The Holy Family of Nazareth inspires us to imitate the virtues of holiness and piety. With this ideal before us, we ask the Lord to hear our prayers on this day dedicated to families.

READER: For the family of the Church, that we may give respect and dignity to all God’s children, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For those charged with protecting society: that the rights of the elderly and the young will be upheld for the sake of peace, justice and harmony. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For our families, that those separated from their family circle because of work or distance will find a home with our community – God’s people. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For broken families, that God’s reconciling forgiveness will be granted and accepted, to restore all relationships of love. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For our newly-baptized into our community and those who have made a full profession of faith to join our Church, that God bless them, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all the sick in our parish that God’s healing hand touch them, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Father in heaven, by subjecting himself to Mary and Joseph, your Son sanctified home life at Nazareth. As we offer our prayers, help us to follow his example, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (all) AMEN.