Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29). The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
PREPARE
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed’” (Lk 2:34-35).
The day described in our Gospel is a joyful one, beginning with the presentation of Jesus and the ritual purification of his mother, forty days after Jesus’ birth, in accord with the law. This was an occasion for rejoicing, made all the more so by Simeon’s recognition that the Lord, who had dwelt in His Temple beforehand only in spirit, had now entered it in the flesh. “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,” (Lk 2:29) he says, finally satisfied that after his long years of expectation, he should receive such a gift as to behold the Christ with his own eyes. But then the Gospel takes an unexpected turn, as Simeon prophecies the division, pain, contradiction, and suffering that will come from the arrival of this long awaited Messiah. What must Mary and Joseph have felt, hearing such an ominous forecast of the future of their divine Son, that He was destined for the Cross, and for the “fall and rise of many”?
Consider that Mary and Joseph were the two holiest people you could ever hope to meet, apart from Jesus Christ Himself, and consider that their family life is presented to us on this feast of the Holy Family as a model for Christian families. This scene of the Presentation in the Temple should leave us with no doubt that if we are following God sincerely and seeking holiness, we will find also difficulty and hardship, confusion and contradiction. In other words, if we are seeking Christ in our families, we will find Him… at the Cross! This lesson is so important because it dispels the false but common expectation that, if we are doing everything right, nothing bad will ever happen to us. This is a “prosperity Gospel” mindset which tries to avoid the Cross as a real part of God’s salvific plan. If the Holy Family had to endure suffering with faith, we should expect it to come our way as well, but we should also expect that we find God there, in the midst of it all.
On this feast, we are also given the model of Abraham and Sarah to consider, the eldely parents of Isaac, in order to learn from their faith. Three times the letter to the Hebrews tells us that Abraham was only able to endure because of his faith. But in none of these cases should we think that it was only through Abraham’s own effort or strength that he was able to persevere. The theological virtue of faith is a gift which only God can give, and it gives us the ability to trust in Him even when things are hard or confusing. The gift of faith helps us to see all things in the light of God’s promises, His goodness, and His divine plan, including all the joys and difficulties of family life, making the words of our psalm echo in our hearts and our homes: “Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!” (Ps 105:3).
PRACTICE
On this feast of the Holy Family, the readings give us some beautiful examples of how family life can be hard. We see Abraham and Sarah longing and waiting to have a child. We see the prophetess Anna becoming a widow after only seven years of marriage. We see Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to be presented at the temple, and Mary being told her heart will be pierced by a sword. While family life can be beautiful, it can also be hard, painful, and filled with disappointment. But as people of faith we know that God uses all things for good and has placed us where He has us for our holiness.
In our practice this week, take some time to speak with the Lord honestly about your family. This can include extended or immediate family, parents and siblings or spouse and children. Whatever context of family you are experiencing.
What are you thankful for about your family?
Where have you been disappointed in regards to family?
Where have you experienced great joy in family life?
Where have you experienced pain and hurt in family life?
Where have you seen the Lord at work in your family?
Where have you seen the Lord at work in you, growing in virtue and holiness in your family?
Even the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph experienced challenges and suffering. But they always persevered in faithful obedience to God and loving care for each other.
What is one thing you can commit to this week to help your family grow after the example of the Holy Family? This is something you could do as a family, or something you could do as an individual.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
Did you have any new insights, reflections, or experiences of the Lord as you celebrated His birth on Christmas day?
As the world packs up the decorations, the Church continues to celebrate Christmas! What is one way you can continue to live out the Christmas season?
We see in the readings the examples of Abraham and Sarah, Simeon, and Anna all being faithful even as the fulfillment of God’s promises seemed to be delayed. What are your thoughts on that? Why do you think they were able to persevere?
What was your experience of family like growing up? What is your experience of family now?
Are there things about your family that you are very grateful for?
Are there ways you have experienced disappointment in regards to family?
What are things you can do to help your family grow after the example of the Holy Family?
KIDS
ACTIVITY
Make a family tree! Start with you and your immediate family and then add your extended family and see how far back you can go!
CONNECTION
Today is the Feast of the Holy Family which shows the importance of family life in our religious life. Jesus learned from Mary and Joseph how to be a faithful believer in his Jewish faith. We have the same opportunity in our family to show and learn about our Catholic faith.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why do we call Mary, Joseph, and Jesus the Holy Family?
What does your family do to show their faith?
How does God help families?
How does your family help you grow?
PRACTICE
What is one thing you can do this week as a family to grow in your faith?