HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY (4)

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

HOMILY THEME: EMULATING THE HOLY FAMILY

BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon

HOMILY:

(Lk. 2:22-40)
In the day’s Gospel, we have the Holy Family visiting the temple and meeting Simeon who had been waiting for the Messiah. He recognized the Messiah in the infant Jesus being carried by Joseph and Mary to present Him in the Temple for consecration being the first born according to tradition. Joseph and Mary were good Jews. Jesus, who grew in wisdom and strength also was a good Jew. Mary and Joseph taught Jesus to be a good Jew.

Jesus stayed with His parents for thirty years. At age thirty, He will reappear for His ministry. The so called hidden life of Jesus were spent with His parents. Even if Jesus had shown great wisdom like how He was admired when He was lost and found in the Temple, He still decided to spend many years with His parents. For Jesus, no matter how important and serious was one’s profession, family time should not be compromized. Remember, even Jesus who had the most important mission and work of saving would still spent time with His parents.

It is unfortunate that Filipino families today are suffering due to absentee parents. By necessity, parents had to work overseas or extra time in order to cope with family needs. Family Time is sacrificed to earn a living for the family. It is hard to blame parents for this decision. They need to provide for their family. Children are either left under the guidance of their grandparents, relatives, or household helpers. More and more, Filipino families are becoming unstable due to the absence of parents.

Once a child ask his father how much he earns an hour. The father was puzzled by the question. He dismissed the question of his son and told him to go to sleep. But the son insisted. So, he answered, twenty dollars an hour. The son asked if he could borrow ten dollars. The father, thinking that his son maybe in need of money to buy something important, gave him the money. His son was happy and got some money he had saved and kept in his pocket. He told his father, “Dad, here is twenty dollars, may I have an hour of your time?”

Family time is precious time. For Jesus to spend the times His missionary years with His family is already a big testimony to this fact.. We celebrate the feast of the Holy Family to appreciate and emulate the family of Jeus, Mary and Joseph. Family time is formation time. Family time is God’s time.