Homily: December 31, 2023 Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

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“When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.”

Since I came to the USA, some parishioners from my home parish in India have asked me to help get jobs or college entry in USA for their children. They had the impression that things work the same here as in India. Because in India, you need to have connections to help you get an advantage to a job application or school entry, otherwise it could be very difficult.

So, in India, it is not so much ‘what’ you know that is helpful, but ‘who’ you know. If you know someone in a position of authority or with great influence, you have the advantage of skipping some administrative processes to get ahead. The right relationships offer great privileges.

Mary and Joseph are the earthly parents of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus is above the Law. He is the authority.

Surely, the Son of God, the Savior of the world does not need to be bound by religious laws, does He?

Surely, Mary and Joseph can have the advantage of skipping some traditions on behalf of God’s divine Son who is in their care, can’t they?

Yes, and yes, based on our worldly logic and rationale, but not so according to God. Self-sacrifice is His way.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived according to the Law and followed traditions without compromise despite having the Messiah as the child in the family. Why?

Because our Lord Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. He did not come as God. He came as man.

Mary and Joseph did not see their position as an opportunity to an easier life, but saw themselves as humble servants, ready to suffer for the Lord.

The Holy Family is holy not because they have the Almighty God’s Son as their child, but because they are humble in obedience, faithful in serving and submissive in their relationship with God.

They followed the commandments of the Lord, the religious traditions of their faith and they ‘fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord’. They did not see themselves as privileged to live differently from the rest of the Jews.

The Holy Family is our model of faith living, they are our example of holiness.

As the child in the family, Jesus was obedient to his earthly parents even though he is God, which is advised in the first reading from Sirach, “Whoever honors his father atones for sins…” and “…he stores up riches who reveres his mother…”. It is also instructed in the second reading, “Children, obey your parents in everything…” And Jesus did so, He lived ‘in submission’ to his earthly parents (Luke 2:51).

As husband and wife, Mary and Joseph also lived out the virtues recommended in the second reading, St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands…” and “Husbands, love your wives…”

In a culture which emphasizes self-preservation and individualistic values, it is hard for us to follow these holy virtues. We need a different culture.

And so, the church celebrates this Feast of the Holy Family, that we may all learn to imitate the humility and faithfulness of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who have shown us how they submitted completely to God in obedience, without regard for their privileged position.

If they, who are blameless and righteous, are obedient, all the more, we, who are sinful and broken, should be obedient. And we too shall become holy. Amen.


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