Feast of the Holy Family [C]

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Luke 2:41-52

A Sunday after the day of Christmas is the celebration of the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. Why is it so? After a couple gets married, the next thing that happens is that life shall be born, and this brings marriage into its fruitfulness. They become a family. The birth of Jesus Christ unites Joseph and Mary even more intimately as they become a holy family. Thus, we can say that the purpose of Jesus’ coming to the world is to form a family. It begins with Joseph and Mary, and eventually, He shall establish His own family, the Church.

If we see the story of creation in the Book of Genesis, God created the world suited for life to flourish. Yet, it does not stop with simple forms of life like amoeba and bacteria, but life reaches its pinnacle in human persons. However, the story of creation does not end there. God gave Adam and Eve His first commandment: be fruitful! Thus, the summit of the creation of the universe is the creation of a family. Family is not human or Church’s invention, but it is God’s plan from eternity. Family life is a natural way for men and women to achieve full human flourishing and happiness. The birth of Jesus brings marriage and family life to a supernatural level. The presence of Jesus sanctifies Joseph and Mary, and Jesus is the one who makes this family holy.

Marriage and family life are not always easy, and in fact, often husbands and wives have to face countless trials and sufferings. This takes place because the institution of marriage and family is designed to route selfishness and invite us to die to ourselves. But, the paradox is that as we are dying to ourselves, we find ourselves fully alive.

Unfortunately, the devil and his cohorts just know too well of this, and thus, their most extraordinary attack is on marriage and family. When the men and women do not give up entirely on marriage and family and fall into selfishness, we fail to achieve our true flourishing. When young couples begin to hate the idea of marriage and see it as mere chores, we begin to lose our future. When couples see having children as a burden, we let the best gifts in our lives and societies disappear. When we allow ourselves to redefine marriage to suit our political agenda, we lose what makes us human.

The feast of the Holy Family reminds us that family is both a natural and supernatural way toward happiness. Yet, everything that is precious is never cheap. The devil knows this and tried to steal it from us. We need to defend it and fight for it and make it genuinely fruitful, but eventually, we must bring Jesus as the center of our lives and families.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP