December 30, 2018

Holy Family

December 30, 2018:  Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

See 28 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen

For Psalm 128
For Psalm 84
    For future celebrations
    The Holy Family was united by intense love and animated by great confidence in God.  When Mary and Joseph found Jesus, they were astonished; and Mary expressed her concern to Jesus.  Astonishment is the opposite of taking everything for granted; it's opening yourself to others, important for healing compromised relationships and curing family wounds.
    Mary and Joseph's anxiety shows the centrality of Jesus in the Holy Family.  The family was holy because it was centered on Jesus.  Their anxiety should also be ours when we're far from Jesus, when we forget him, go without prayer or reading the gospel for several days.  As Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple, we should seek him in the house of God, especially in the liturgy, where Jesus' Word and Eucharist give us strength to face daily difficulties.  Pray for families, especially those lacking peace and harmony; entrust them to the Holy Family's protection.
    Read
    • Sir 3:2-6, 12-14  God sets parents over their children.  Honor your parents:  atone for sins, preserve yourself, store up riches, have your prayers heard, and live long.  Take care of your father; your kindness won't be forgotten.
    • 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28  Hannah bore a son, Samuel, so named since she'd asked the Lord for him.  Once he was weaned, Hannah presented him at the temple:  “I am the woman who stood near you praying for this child.  Now I give him to the Lord.”  She left him there.
    • Ps 128:1-5  "Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways."  You'll eat the fruit of your handiwork; your wife shall be like a fruitful vine and your children like olive plants around your table.
    • Ps 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10  "Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord."  I yearn for your lovely dwelling place; I cry out for God.  Hear our prayer, and look on your anointed.
    • Col 3:12-21 [quintessential "dress your life" reading]:  Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with and forgive one another.  Put on love, and let Christ's peace control you.  Teach one another, singing with gratitude to God.  Do everything in Jesus' name, giving God thanks through him.  Wives, be subordinate to your husbands; husbands, love your wives and don't provoke your children; children, obey your parents.
    • 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24  See what love the Father has bestowed on us!  We're God’s children and shall be like him.  Believe in Jesus Christ, and love one another.  Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them...
    • Lk 2:41-52  When Jesus was 12, his parents went away with him for Passover but left him behind without realizing it.  When they didn't find him in the caravan, they returned to look for him.  In three days they found him in the temple, listening to the teachers, asking questions, and amazing people with his understanding.  Mary, astonished / Jesus:  “Why have you done this to us?  We've been anxious looking for you.” / “Didn't you know I'd be in my Father’s house?”  They didn't understand.  He returned with them to Nazareth, obeyed them, and advanced in wisdom, age, and favor.
    Reflect
    • Msgr. Albert Bahhuth homily video:  Grow in holiness, your relationship with God; help your family to.  Listen to God; reflect; live your faith.  Love makes obedience easier.  What's your next step?
    • Creighton:  Today we remember how Jesus grew up in family life, shaped by Mary and Joseph.  The readings are about belonging to each other.  Sirach entreats parents and children to love and honor each other.  Paul’s letter offers us tools to care for each other:  compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, bearing with each other.  The gospel recounts how Mary and Joseph found 12-year-old Jesus who didn't rejoin the family caravan after a pilgrimage to the Temple, then how he was obedient to them.  Our faith and family lives converge in ordinary places:  the kitchen table, putting our children to bed, catch-up phone calls....  Jesus is present and joyful in family traditions, in our prayers together.  May we recognize God present in the laundry room, on a stroll..., and draw closer to him.
      The Holy Family/ Gutierrez
      (More)
    • Passionist:  Why don't we sacrament like Reconciliation where we tell the priest what we've done right?  Conscience tells us what’s right and what’s wrong.  Why don't we also acknowledge when we've done something right?  Then gratitude would follow, acknowledging the Author of all good.  When Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth detected her good qualities and praised her, and Mary responded with gratitude, knowing the Giver.  “Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns and inspired songs.”
    • DailyScripture.net:  "I must be in my Father's house":  God taught his people his way of love of God and neighbor.  God's covenant love binds people together as his children and binds man and woman in marriage.  God wants his love to be the center of our relationships and actions.  Jesus was born into a family devoted to the word of God, but we know little about his home life, though he was surely taught scripture.  Jewish home life was centered on family prayers, psalm singing, and scripture reading, Sabbath observance.  He would have been required to memorize the Torah by the age of 13 and practice the counsels in Proverbs and Sirach.  He traveled with his parents the 80 miles (3 days) from Nazareth to Jerusalem for Passover every year; today's gospel is from one such journey....

    • Social network Christmas:  Remember this cute anachronism?  I recalled it because in it Mary treasures things, as she does in today's gospel.
    Dress legend
    • 'Bull' pin:  Hannah brought Samuel to the temple with a bull... (1st reading)
    • Tie with grapes and other fruit:  ...and wine (1st reading); your wife will be like a fruitful vine; you who walk in the Lord's ways shall eat the fruit of your handiwork (psalm)
    • 'Children' pin:  Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children (1st reading); your children shall be like olive plants (psalm); obey your parents; we're God's children (2nd reading)
    • 'Castle' button:  "Blessed are they who dwell in Your house." "How lovely is Your dwelling place" (psalm)
    • 'Walker' tie pin:  Blessed those who walk in the Lord's ways (psalm)
    • 'Love' suspenders sticker:  Love your wives; love one another; put on love; see what love the Father bestowed on us (2nd reading)
    • 'Clock' pin:  Put on patience (2nd reading)
    • 'Eyeball' pin:  We'll see him as he is. (2nd reading)
    • 'Heart' clip:  Sing with grateful hearts; let Christ's peace Christ control your hearts; if our hearts don't condemn us, we have confidence in God... (2nd reading); my heart cries out for God (psalm); Mary kept these things in her heart (gospel)
    • "Happy birthday, Jesus" pin:  Christmas season; do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (2nd reading)
    • 'Dove' pin:  We know he remains in us from the Spirit (2nd reading)
    • Dressing today:  'Put on' compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (2nd reading)
    • 'Bear' tie bar:  'Bear' with one another (2nd reading)
    • 'Peace sign' tie bar:  Let Christ's peace control you (2nd reading)
    • 'Clef with cross' tie pin:  Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (2nd reading)
    • 'Owl' tie pin:  Teach each other in wisdom (2nd reading); Jesus advanced in wisdom (gospel)
    • '?' tie pin:  Jesus' and parents' questions (gospel)
    • 'Magnifying glass' (on key) pin:  Jesus' parents searched for him (gospel)
    • 'Celebrate teaching' pin:  They found Jesus sitting in the midst of the teachers (gospel)
    • White shirt:  Color of today's celebration
    Special blessings to and prayers for our Holy Family parish and school communities in Artesia, Glendale, South Pasadena, and Wilmington!
    Posted by at

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)