Reflection From

Fr. John

December 29, 2024

This week, the week following Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We celebrate the mystery of God becoming Man and becoming like us in all things. This included being born into a family.

As a boy, Jesus learned how to live and worship God from his father, St. Joseph, and his mother, Mary. As is mentioned in the Gospel this week, Jesus and Mary accompanied Joseph when he traveled to the temple in Jerusalem. It was required in ancient Judaism for all men to travel to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year to offer sacrifice during the three major feasts of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. In this week’s Gospel, the Holy family traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate and offer sacrifice for the Feast of Passover.

It was not uncommon for wives and children to accompany the men of the family during their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Jesus, even though he was only twelve years old, accompanied Joseph and Mary, most likely to accustom Jesus to the obligation of traveling to the temple to offer sacrifice. Even though Jesus was fully God, he was also fully human and needed to learn from his parents how to worship and pray.

At the age of thirteen, all Jewish boys were bound by the same rules as men. They were required to travel to Jerusalem three times a year to offer sacrifice in the temple. Jesus, although only twelve, is seen in the Gospel this week sitting in the temple and learning from the teachers. When questioned by Mary, He doesn’t respond harshly, but reminds her of His heavenly calling and mission.

Through the care of Joseph and Mary, Christ is prepared for His earthly mission and grows into adulthood. By teaching their children how to pray and bringing them to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, parents model Joseph and Mary for their children. Joseph and Mary prepared the child Jesus for His mission. Parents, through the grace given to them by God, are called to teach and prepare their children for their heavenly mission. The family is the “domestic church”. It is the first place where children come to know God and to pray.

Joseph and Mary taught Jesus how to pray and how to go to temple. We too, in the circumstances and “families” we find ourselves, are called to teach children and to lead them to God, primarily through our own actions and then by verbal teaching. Let us ask for the intercession of the Holy Family in our lives, so that God may transform our hearts and our own families. We will then be able to better imitate Mary and Joseph and lead others closer to Christ.

Father John

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