009 Feast of the Holy Family

Readings

Cycle B The Holy Family Sunday

Old Testament: Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; or Genesis 15:1-6;21:1-3

Psalm: Psalm 128 or Psalm 105

New Testament: Colossians 3:12-21 or Hebrews 11-19

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Homily Theme

We Are all Family

There are several different options of readings this week and it will depend on what church you attend as to which ones you will hear read. Whichever are read in your parish, all will mention people who make up a family, fathers and mothers; sons and daughters; wives and husbands: all of us children of God the Father. We all share Jesus as our brother and Mary as our Mother. We, the baptized, belong to a very Holy Family.

When we think THE Holy Family, we automatically think of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and we all expect to hear a homily about them this Sunday. After praying about it, I decided to talk about another holy family, the Church, of which we are all members. St Paul in his writings, likens us all to members of the one body of which we are all a part. A body has different parts with different functions, so too does a family. When a part of a body is in pain, the whole body suffers. When a part of a body is missing, the whole body is handicapped. Many parts of the Mystical Body, the Church, are missing or not functioning properly today, and the Church suffers as a family because of it.

Imagine what it would be like if every baptized Catholic in the world attended Mass every Sunday and received the sacraments regularly, what a wonderful family that would be. What a wonderful world it would be if every Christian never sinned and if they did, they immediately repented and asked for forgiveness in confession. But that is not the kind of world in which we live, and neither is it the kind of Church to which we belong. Families are made up of imperfect spouses, imperfect parents and imperfect children. Every family has its problems including the Church. Jesus our brother died for us sinners and it is His redemptive love that will makes the Church well again. The Church is a Holy family because of the original Holy Family’s yes to the Father. Let us all mean our yes to Him this Sunday.

When broken families reach out to their problem members in love, their families can be healed with that love. This Sunday let us all reach out to the lost members of our Church familywith great love, so that the love and inspiration of St. Joseph, Jesus and Mother Mary can make us all one again. Remember they are the only perfect Holy family that ever lived on earth, but remember also, that Jesus and Mary both, said yes to the Heavenly Father so that we can receive His forgiveness and mercy and can say with pride .…..

We are a Holy Family now