FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
(Sirach
3:3-7, 14-17a; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:41-52)
St. Luke’s
Gospel is featured throughout the Christmas season. His long narrative of
Christ’s birth offers several mysteries that nurture growth in the spiritual
life. Let’s reflect on two scenes from this narrative here.
First, we
go back a little to Bethlehem where the child is laid in a manger. With the
Holy Family surrounded by shepherds and domestic animals we are given a sense
of tranquility. This is the peace that takes away all worry because our savior
has come. The second reading today refers to this peace when it says, “Let the
peace of Christ reign in your hearts.”
The peace
of Bethlehem is found in the birth of every child. Parents united with their
families contemplate the wonder of the creation of another human being. They
realize, at least implicitly, that they have fulfilled God’s command to fill
the earth. In addition to peace, they feel the impulse to aid their child grow
into a loving and wise adult. Parents can turn to this scene when they are
tempted to abandon responsibility for their family.
As
inspiring as the scene may have been in the past, there is concern today about
its loss among young adults. The lure of professional life causes many to abandon
the longing for family life. They do not want to have several children, and in
many cases not even one. Demographers warn that if this trend continues, our
society may destroy itself from within. In thirty years there will be no
workers to pay medical bills of the elderly, much less take them to the
doctors.
The second
scene worth reflecting on today is the encounter of Mary and Joseph with Jesus
in the gospel. Jesus gives them what seems like a rebuke but is actually the
transmission of the wisdom of the ages. He says: “‘Did you not know that I must
be in my Father’s house?’” He is calling them to order all things to God. This
comprises the basis of spiritual life: that God is always our first priority.
Jesus
himself carries out this command when he returns with his parents to Nazareth.
The reading says, “…he remained subject to their authority.” This echoes the
second reading where it is said, “Children, obey your parents…” The mention of
authority in the gospel raises the delicate question of leadership in marriage
found in the same passage from Colossians. “Wives,” the letter says, “be subordinate
to your husbands.”
We are
accustomed to giving authority to those who show the ability to administer it
well or, at least, are properly selected to administer it. However, the phrase
from Colossians reverts to the traditional authority that follows ancient
wisdom. It may be bearable, even preferable, when several things are
considered. First, the author of the letter insists that husbands love their
wives. That is, they are to seek their good more than their own. Second, it
does not allow for cooperation in sin, including the degradation of the human
person. Finally, it resolves the issue rather than leaving it hanging, open to
misunderstanding and frustration. The father of the family taking
responsibility for being the last to leave the burning house demonstrates the
pros and cons of this type of authority.
The letter
insists not only that children obey their parents but also that parents “not provoke
your children.” Is limiting screen time on phones, computers, and televisions provoking
your children? While many would say “yes,” at least in practice, the answer
must be “no” when considering the risks surrounding the issue. Childhood
obesity, facilitated by sitting in front of a screen, has become one of the
most serious public health concerns. Another drawback is that attention to
screens retards social development. A cartoon comparing the celebration of
Thanksgiving thirty years ago and today recently highlighted the problem. In
the first scene depicting life thirty years ago, everyone is standing around
the table singing, making toasts, sharing in one way or another. In contrast,
today everyone is sitting in their chairs staring at their individual screens
with bored faces.
It would be
difficult to overstate the value of the family. It has always been the
foundation of society because it is where virtuous people are formed. Now many
families are in jeopardy because of the abandonment of the values found on every page of the Bible.
Somehow we have to reclaim those values to survive the years ahead.
