HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY

1st Reading               1 Samuel 1: 20-22. 24-28

Psalm                        84: 2-3. 5-6. 9-10. 11 (R. 5a)

R:// "Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord"

2nd Reading            1 John 3: 1-2. 21-24

Gospel                       Luke 2: 41-52

SEEK AND FIND

Beloved, today is Holy Family Sunday and the Last Sunday not only of the month but also of the year. We thank God for how far He has helped us through thick and thin. Today's celebration of the Holy Family puts family life into perspective. I suggest that we pay particular attention to the Gospel passage for this Sunday. 

The Gospel passage is from Luke 2: 41-52. Note that we are reading from the Infancy Narrative presented by Luke. The Infancy Narrative relays to us what Jesus' childhood looked like, including the circumstances surrounding his birth, growth and family life. Luke does not tell us anything about the years of Jesus from 1 year to 11 years. He shrouds those years under the simple but condensed statement that, "the Child continued to grow and to become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the favour of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:40). 

Today's Gospel passage continues from when Jesus was twelve years old. The author of the passage tells us about Jesus' first pilgrimage to Jerusalem and his subsequent finding in the Temple after he was missing for three days. This is a very beautiful passage for Holy Family Sunday as it puts not only the family of Jesus in view, but also other families who were travelling. Let us put three usual details Luke puts into his presentation in focus to help our reflection and study. 

The first detail is that Jesus, during this pilgrimage, is 12 years old. Thus, "... and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom" (v. 42). What is the festival custom? A very important aspect of the festival custom is seen in Deuteronomy 16:16: "Three times a year, then, all your males shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place which he will choose, at the feast of Unleavened Bread, at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of Booths". It becomes clear that Jesus is going to the feast of Passover to celebrate as custom demands. The tradition at the time was that around 12 or 13 years, a Jewish boy is ushered into a mature life. Jesus will be regarded then, at 12 years, as a mature male and he can go up to the Temple to offer sacrifices. 

The critical point is at the time people are supposed to be in the presence of the Lord, where do they go? The parents of Jesus introduced him at the right age to the Temple. Where are the young ones in the Church today? Do they participate in religious and faith life and education? There is a need to propel a love for the House of the Lord in the "growing" population of the Church. Parents, Godparents and the entire Christian family need to take up this challenge of reintroducing the younger ones to the Church, the family of God.

The second detail Luke weaves in is his mention of disappearance. Thus, "Thinking that he was in the company, 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" (vv. 44-45). The Greek translated as Company is "συνοδία" (Synodia). From this word, we derive "Synod". A Synod is a combination of "Syn" (with) and "hodos" (way). A Synod is basically walking along the same path. It includes being on the same page and ideology with others. It is thinking and acting alike. For a Synod to take place, the interested parties must be available and present. A family is always a Synod because the interested parties are the Father, the Mother, and the Children. Where one is absent, the Synod is affected. Everyone's impact in a group, in a Synod, in a company should be felt so that their absence is equally visible. 

Jesus and his parents were on the same page while journeying to Jerusalem. When they noticed that they were on different pages and could not walk the same path or way, they had to restore it. They were indeed on different pages. Mary would say "Your father" and Jesus would correct it and say "My Father". As a family, we need to ask ourselves "Who is missing from the table?". Who is not on the same ideological level as us? On faith and religious education, who is finding it difficult to grasp the mysteries of the divine? Do we also attempt to exert our influence so much so that others are never heard and are recognised? 

The final detail is that "after three days they found him in the Temple" (v. 46). The Gospel according to Luke is replete with "seeking and finding". Remember the parable of the "Lost Sheep" (Lk. 15: 1-7), the "Lost Coin" (Lk. 15: 8-10), the Lost Son (Lk. 15: 11-31). In fact, Luke had Jesus saying that "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost" (Lk. 19: 10).

The number three is a number that talks about the nature of God as Three, for which reason we have the thrice holy God: "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8). Three is also a number of witnessing (Deut. 17: 6; 19:15). However, finding him after three days strikes a cord and sends us far into the end of Jesus' life. Jesus foretells his passion three times. He reiterated that "on the third day he will rise" (Lk. 18: 33). When all hope is lost and nothing seems to work, Jesus rose. Similarly, as a family, you may have lost "the Christ" among you. The "third day" will soon arrive.

Peace and Goodness.