Homily: Feast of the Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family (Lk 2:41-52)

            We have an idea of what a typical family might look like. A typical family might be thought of as a husband and a wife who have several children, usually a mixture of boys and girls. We know all families don’t look like this but one thing all families want is a sense of order.

                The Book of Sirach is one of the longest books in the Bible. Sirach is an example of Jewish wisdom literature. The Jewish people slowly spread out from Palestine into the rest of the world in the centuries before Christ’s birth. Why did Jews migrate from their homeland to live in other places? The reasons were the same as why people migrate today.

                The population in Israel was growing so there wasn’t enough economic opportunity. Most of the Jewish population in Israel were peasant farmers. Land was a limited resource, so people had to engage in other ways to make a living. Jews became merchants. Jews became artisans. Jews engaged in any number of occupations but often this required that they move to other countries.

                All this led to two classifications of Jews. One type of Jew lived in Palestine. Other Jews who lived outside of Palestine were called Hellenistic Jews. The Jews who lived outside their homeland didn’t have much of an opportunity to worship in the temple. To hold onto their religion, Hellenistic Jews needed to have a moral code to live by so Wisdom literature developed. Jews who lived far from their homeland relied heavily on the Scripture to maintain their identity.

                Sirach was one of Wisdom Books that Jews turned to when they wanted to be faithful to their Jewish identity. We read from Sirach in the first lesson. Specifically, we read about how the Jewish family was supposed to operate. Harmony was to be maintained. A father was to have authority over his household. A mother was to be respected. Children were to be obedient.

                The family of Jesus would have followed this code of ethics. Jewish families were like all families. In families there are always surprises. We see stress in the lives of the Holy Family.

                Jesus has twelve years old in the story we read from the Gospel of Luke today. He is on the verge of being a teenager. At the age of twelve a boy was supposed to follow the Jewish religious law as any adult male would do. Any Jew who lived in the proximity of Jerusalem was expected to go there for Passover. We are told that the Holy Family went to Jerusalem every year at this sacred time. Jesus, because he had turned twelve, was expected to be responsible for his own religious life. Perhaps this is what led to the misunderstanding that we hear about in the Gospel.

                Since Jesus was twelve, he probably had the freedom to move around the temple as he chose when he visited. When it would come time to leave the temple people would travel in groups to go home. Women and children would leave first. The men would follow later. When evening came, families would reunite. Mary and Joseph both thought that Jesus was with the other parent. Anyone who is a mom or dad can relate to leaving a child behind somewhere. Every family seems to have such an experience. Usually, these stories become part of family lore. Most often a child is found. The situation ends well. So it was, in this case. Mary and Joseph retrace their steps when they lose Jesus.

                We get a sense that Mary’s question of Jesus when she found him the temple wasn’t asked calmly. She was upset. Jesus’ reply didn’t seem like it was offered in an apologetic way either. We have here the tension that we find in any family when a child is becoming an adult. Children want their independence. Parents want to protect their children.

                What does this story tell us? What it tells us is that Jesus was part of a real human family. We all know that family life is often messy. What we should observe here is how the situation is resolved. Mary and Joseph listened to their child. Jesus listened to his parents. All of them try to understand each other. Judgements aren’t passed but there is a trust that is exhibited. Jesus trusted that his parents wanted what was best. Joseph and May trusted that Jesus hadn’t intended to disobey them. The Holy Family respected each other. Mutual respect, trust, charity, humility, were the virtues Jesus, Mary and Joseph exercised in their relationship. Any family can use these virtues. When this is the case, it shows the desire to be a holy family.